Tourexpi
At this year's ITB China, industry expert Charlotte
Lamp-Davies (Founder, A Bright Approach) spoke with Chris Ma, Vice President at
Fliggy, about the company's positioning within the Alibaba ecosystem, travel
trends, and the integration of technology in the travel sector.
Chris, could you start by giving us an overview of
Fliggy and how it is positioned within Alibaba's ecosystem?
Fliggy is a business unit within the Alibaba Group.
We operate an online travel service platform that supports a diverse ecosystem
in which businesses can build their own brands and offer services directly to
consumers. Through the Fliggy platform consumers can access a wide range of
global travel services, including 25,000 non-stop flight routes, 1.5 million
hotels and homestays, over 8,000 tourist attractions, and nearly 60,000 travel
itineraries.
With 400 million+ registered users, Fliggy is a
crucial link for travel businesses to reach over 1 billion active consumers1
within the Alibaba Ecosystem in China, As the go-to platform of millennials and
next-gen travellers, we connect our partners to a demographic that is
tech-savvy and eager to explore the world, providing immense growth
opportunities for a range of businesses.
Leveraging the extensive e-commerce expertise and
technological capabilities of the Alibaba Group we offer a full suite of
marketing solutions and a comprehensive transaction and guarantee system to
help businesses grow and increase brand exposure. For example, during the
annual Double 11 online sales event last year, Fliggy hosted 14 brand stores
each with sales exceeding RMB100 million, a significant increase from 9 stores
in 2022 and 2 stores in 2019.
What can you us about post-COVID travel in China,
domestic, and outbound?
The recent Labour Day holiday week travel figures
showed that domestic and outbound travel spending of Chinese tourists had fully
rebounded and now surpassed the 2019 pre-COVID level.
Visa waivers between China and a number of
countries/regions have boosted outbound travel demand. Transportation capacity
and supply chains are also recovering, indicating that the growth is a
sustained trend. During this year’s Labour Day holiday, the total bookings for
our outbound travel products continued to rise, almost doubling from the
previous year's rapid uptick.
Individuals are now prioritising more immersive
experiences in their journeys and there is a growing preference for independent
travel in outbound tourism.
The traditional model of large tour groups for
domestic travel is shifting towards smaller, more intimate experiences such as
charter services, private tours and personalised tours, which are experiencing
significant growth. Excluding price fluctuations caused by the slow recovery of
international travel, average customer spending for outbound travel has
increased noticeably, and so has the number of items booked per person.
In your capacity as head of the vacation business,
how do you cater to the evolving consumer behaviours and travel patterns in
terms of business strategy and offering?
The travel market is changing, and people are more
interested in experiential travel. In view of this, we have created a product
called “Group Tour Route Repository” to help businesses organise segmented and
non-standard group tour services, highlighting unique experiences and services
based on consumer need. These might include a range of elements such as hiking,
flower viewing, skiing, or incorporate special meals such as whole roasted lamb
or hot pot. This makes it easier for consumers to find routes that suit their
personal interests at the same time as matching supply and demand more
efficiently.
We have made further deployments around demographic
groups with specific travel needs, such as customers of well-known brands. Our
membership program is fully integrated with over 40 prestigious travel brands,
that offer dual points and exclusive benefits from both sides. Members will
earn points and corresponding membership perks for various travel experiences
when making bookings and purchases at these brands' Fliggy flagship stores.
Partners of this programme include Marriott International, MSC Cruises, Club
Med, Chimelong Tourist Resort, China Express Airlines and two Bicester Villages
in China. This program has improved customer loyalty and boosted brand
membership growth by providing an exceptional consumer experience that exceeds
expectations.
For the European tourism market players looking to
enter the Chinese market, what advice would you offer?
The Chinese consumer market has gone digital, with
a sophisticated social media ecosystem shaping consumer behaviour. The
competition between destinations for consumers' attention and spending has
increased, making it necessary for each service provider to differentiate
themselves and explain why they are the best choice.
Travel service providers nowadays have to
prioritise the consumer, understanding their needs and delivering products that
not only meet but exceed their expectations. When entering the Chinese market,
it's important to not only build brand visibility but also focus on sales
conversion. Consumers' attention is fleeting, and the high cost of traveling to
Europe, including not only financial costs but also the time and effort required for visa application,
trip planning and managing time zone differences, emphasises the importance of
combining brand visibility with sales.
Can you highlight some emerging consumer travel
trends in China that present opportunities for the European market players?
Consumer trends in the travel industry are
evolving. People want to create their own travel experiences instead of just
taking what service providers offer. In addition to traditional tourist
attractions and amusement parks, there’s a growing interest in
off-the-beaten-path spots and attractions. History, culture, local cuisine, and
fun activities like concerts and sports games are becoming increasingly
important factors for people when they choose where to travel. As a result,
there are now significant opportunities for theme tours, such as cultural and
heritage tours, food tours, and sports tours.
In terms of product trends, the “Buy Now, Plan
Later” travel package has gained popularity among Chinese travellers. Consumers
are taking advantage of special sales events like Double 11 and 618 to buy
travel packages that allow them to book their travel later. These packages come
with discounts and flexible refund policies, making it easier for consumers to
make decisions and have a better travel experience. In 2023, there has been a
significant increase of over 100% in the number of people using “Buy Now, Plan
Later” travel arrangements compared to the previous year. About one in every
four 4 to 5-star hotel in China have had guests using this kind of arrangement.
Chris Ma is Vice President of Fliggy and Head of
Holiday Business at Fliggy, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group. Previously, he was
Vice President of Atour Group (NASDAQ: ATAT), a leading upscale hotel chain and
lifestyle brand in China. Previously, Mr Ma worked for leading technology
companies in China, including Sina Corporation, Baidu, Inc. and Qunar.com. He
is a graduate of the School of Business at Renmin University of China.
Bildnachweis:
© AA
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