A hotel owner in eastern China, who had been in the business for more than a decade, began experimenting with overseas social media platforms in June. He hired someone to set up accounts on international platforms, learned to create influencer-style content, and started posting short videos about his property under the theme of “China hotels.” Using AI translation tools, he tried to promote his hotel to international travelers.
After several attempts, the videos began gaining traction. His accounts received a growing number of comments and direct messages from overseas users.
At first, Mr. A was thrilled, believing a major business opportunity was finally within reach. But when it came to converting interest into actual bookings, he quickly ran into problems.
The hotel’s front desk staff could not communicate in English. Basic information such as the address, room types and facilities lacked standardized English descriptions. When foreign guests asked for bathtubs, the hotel rooms did not have them. Many international travelers preferred paying with Visa or Mastercard, but the hotel did not support those payment methods.
After going through the process, Mr. A realized that attracting foreign guests was far more complicated than simply posting a few short videos on TikTok.
In recent years, many hotel owners like Mr. A have encountered similar challenges. The opportunity presented by inbound tourism is clearly visible, yet many businesses struggle to capture their share of the market.
Looking at the bigger picture, the same dilemma extends beyond hotels to travel agencies, attractions and destinations.
At one end is the massive traffic generated by overseas social media platforms; at the other end are China’s rich tourism resources. But the supply chains and service delivery capabilities connecting the two remain narrow — much like the neck of an hourglass.
Many inbound tourism products currently on the market are simply domestic travel offerings translated into English. But attractions and travel products familiar to Chinese travelers may not necessarily be familiar or appealing to international visitors.
In the past, domestic tourism product development was often based on the question: “What should foreigners do when they come to China?”
Today, the approach needs to be reversed — starting from the actual needs of overseas consumers to determine what is worth developing, how it should be designed, and how much to charge.
