Which high-end travel apps do wealthy Chinese travellers love?
- Rich holidaymakers are increasingly making bookings with their smartphones where customised itineraries, travel advice and prices are all at their fingertips
This article was originally written by Ruonan Zheng and was published on Jing Daily.
More Chinese people are travelling than ever before and the more affluent among them are increasingly booking trips using their mobile phones.
This class of Chinese traveller is changing not only how destinations welcome tourists, but also how domestic travel apps cater to the most profitable demographic.
Affluent Chinese holidaymakers prefer travel apps to traditional agencies because the mobile platforms provide everything for navigating their way through itineraries, prices and customised services at their fingertips.
More than half of wealthy travellers booked their trips online in 2017, according to a September report by the China-based research agency Yaok Institute.
Bookings made using high-end travel apps have been increasing since 2012 – amid the Chinese government’s anti-corruption campaign – with many businesses keen to cater to a luxury market that focuses more on offering experiences rather than material goods.
However, competition in this field has been fierce, as online itineraries can be easily copied by competitors.
Many companies have sought to diversify their offerings through technological innovation, such as the use of a WeChat mini-program and virtual reality, and customised trips.
Here are five online travel agency apps that rich Chinese travellers love: