iAudience: Chinese Audiences Insights Spotlight Issue#5: Chinese Short Video Platforms in the spotlight

As we gear up for Chinese New Year (CNY) 2025, the stage is set for record-breaking Chinese outbound travel and consumer spending, driven by evolving consumer behaviors and preferences. According to Qunar, international travel during the 2024 CNY saw a remarkable 13.5 million outbound trips, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and setting the pace for new highs this year. Dive into the insights from Fliggy and Qunar below, showcasing promising trends that businesses can tap into to connect with Chinese travelers and maximize opportunities during this peak travel season.

Understanding the Chinese festive calendar isn't just important—it's a game changer for your annual marketing strategy. Each festival presents a unique opportunity to build authentic connections with diverse audience segments, including families celebrating traditional events like Chinese New Year, young couples exchanging gifts during occasions like 520 Day and Qixi Festival, and online shoppers during major e-commerce events such as 618 and Singles' Day.

Despite international flights from mainland China recovering to 87% of pre-pandemic levels, luxury spending abroad has already surpassed those benchmarks, showing an impressive 32% year-on-year increase as of mid-2024.

WeChat Mini Store (微信小店) introduces an exciting new “Gift Giving” feature, designed to streamline the gifting experience like never before. Currently in pilot testing, this feature supports items priced under RMB 10,000 making the process effortless for both senders and recipients.

Are you ready to explore the travel trends of the silver-hair generation—an affluent and expanding segment in China? Ctrip's latest insights reveal that seniors aged 50 and over are traveling more than ever! During the Double Ninth Festival, bookings surged by nearly 20%. From January to September, orders rose by 26%, with the 61-65 age group showing an impressive growth of 58%.

As the year draws to a close, searches related to celebrating Christmas and New Year's Eve (雙旦) on Xiaohongshu (XHS) have surged, indicating a growing enthusiasm for holiday travel. Hong Kong stands out as a premier destination for Chinese travelers, offering a captivating blend of tradition and modernity. Below are what the Chinese travelers are looking for and how brands can engage.

nionPay now enables overseas-issued cards to effortlessly link with Alipay and WeChat Pay. This means that international visitors can enjoy the convenience of QR code payments by simply connecting their UnionPay cards to these widely-used apps, just like local!

Exciting news for merchants and shoppers! Taobao has integrated WeChat Pay as a payment option for all stores on Taobao and Tmall! This update enhances the shopping experience and opens incredible opportunities for merchants to attract WeChat Pay users and tap into a vibrant new customer base!

As the year-end holidays draw near, it's prime time to seize the incredible opportunities of this bustling shopping season! The Chinese gift economy is projected to reach RMB 1.4 trillion in 2024, soaring to RMB 1.6 billion by 2027. This is your chance to fully embrace China’s vibrant gifting culture!