Chinese tourists scour social media for hidden gems, personal touch as times change
Chinese social media platforms, such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin, are shaping how people travel abroad
Lily Luk, a 21-year-old university graduate from Guangzhou, has visited Japan three times since outbound travel from mainland China resumed in earnest last year following the coronavirus pandemic.
She arranged her trips by collecting information from Chinese social media platforms.
“I typically start by searching for short videos that offer quick glimpses of the travel route, highlighting must-see spots and must-try foods along the way,” Luk said.
“A simple search using destination name plus keyword in the search box yields plenty of relevant content.”
As well as the standard landmarks, Luk was led to the unlikely treat of ricotta hot cakes with banana and honeycomb butter in the Japanese city of Kamakura.
The hot cakes surfaced in user-generated photos, reviews and recommendations aimed at Chinese tourists.
