In recent years, the rise of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) in China, such as Fliggy, has influenced the growth of the Chinese travel market. Chinese OTAs have established themselves in the Chinese travel market, accounting for 79% of inquiries.
In this article we will take a look at some of the most important aspects of Fliggy, a Chinese OTA that since it started has been gaining ground and growing to become one of the most prominent in this Asian country.
Chinese OTAs have consolidated their position in the Chinese outbound tourism market, accounting for 79% of the queries
1. What is Fliggy?
Similar to Ctrip, Fliggy is an online travel platform that offers exclusive experiences to travelers, having made agreements with partners including the Louvre Museum and Disneyland. This Chinese OTA belongs to Alibaba Group, a company that brings together more than 400 travel agents, 8,000 destinations and more than 600,000 hotels and accommodations, according to Hosteltur data.
In addition, Fliggy stands out for its great discounts on hotel booking services, making it one of the most downloaded mobile applications in China according to Chinafy.
Alibaba Group, to which Fliggy belongs, is one of the largest companies in the world, with more than 400 travel agents, 8,000 destinations and more than 600,000 accommodations
In a nutshell:
- It is the world’s leading travel platform and offers a wide variety of immersive travel resources, with numerous advertising opportunities for brands to promote their hotel both in China and abroad.
- It is part of the Alibaba ecosystem, with its global reach in e-commerce, payment systems and more. This means that Alibaba’s annual active user base of 400 million customers is constantly exposed to Fliggy.
- A typical user of this social network is a member of Generation Z, has a high level of consumerism and prefers high-quality products, services and experiences. They also show interest in Western brands that meet these criteria and in Western tourist destinations.
- 45% of users live in tier 1 cities.
- 44% are highly educated, with at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
- 64% make household decisions.
Main functions of Fliggy
Fliggy offers users a wide range of services, including:
- Accommodation options.
- Portfolio of hotel offers.
- Enabling the hospitality industry worldwide to access consumers.
- Comprehensive transportation booking and fulfillment services.
- Tourist attractions.
- Other travel products and services to meet consumer needs.
2. Fliggy's market share and continued growth
Fliggy has a 16.5% market share, according to Hotelmize, which is already preparing partnerships with global brands to define its niche in hotel booking and outperform the competition.
In 2020 they recorded a total of 10 million daily active users, according to Chinafy data, with millennials being their primary target demographic, and already boasts more than 5,000 partners.
Fliggy has a market share of 16.5%, in addition to having more than 10 million daily active users
Fliggy has already seen strong growth in Chinese consumer demand for overseas travel in the first quarter of 2023. Proof of this is the year-on-year growth in the number of international flight bookings, which more than quadrupled in that quarter alone.
In addition to this indicator, requests for online visa processing services registered a year-on-year growth of 580% during the same period, according to Hosteltur data.
Meanwhile, in March, the average daily number of bookings for products related to travel abroad also recorded a year-on-year growth of 340%.
3. Why is it important to feature on Fliggy
Fliggy is an excellent tool to promote your hotel both in China and abroad. Customers can easily search for accommodation thanks to photos, useful information and, most importantly, ratings and reviews from other guests.
As an Alibaba-backed platform, this social network has a significant impact on the digital marketing in China. Its flexibility, sophistication and leveraging of big data provide Western brands with an exceptional opportunity to enhance their online presence and connect with a broad consumer base.
Fliggy not only functions as a comprehensive travel platform, but also leverages Alibaba’s database. This allows for precise targeting and advertising optimization, using data on purchase intent, social preferences, work habits, spending power and more, going beyond simple demographics.
The integration of foreign hospitality businesses on Fliggy is essential to reach the Chinese clientele and have a greater influx of Chinese tourists to your business. Therefore, knowing the characteristics of the Chinese outbound tourist market in depth is of vital importance.
The integration of foreign hotel businesses on Fliggy is essential to reach the Chinese clientele and have a greater influx of Chinese tourists in your business.
4. How to register a hotel on Fliggy
To create an account on Fliggy, proceed as follows:
- Create/login with an Alibaba account.
- Submit company information. The documents you need to provide are:
- Business license
- Tax registration
- Last tax payment certificate
- ID card
- ID card of the company director
- Trademark registration certificate
- Statement of the authorized representative of the primary company
- Alipay account
- Expect to receive verification in 3-5 business days
- Pay an annual fee
- Set up your account
4. Conclusions
As we have seen, the importance of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) in China, and Fliggy in particular, is vital for the Chinese outbound tourism market and, therefore, should be essential in the strategic plan of any foreign hotel business.
Remember that it is important to know the specifics of the Chinese tourism market and, if you want to have an effective presence on Fliggy, contact InfluChina at hello@influchina.com. Influchina is a social media agency in China that is dedicated to promoting businesses with tourist affluence in Chinese social networks through influencers.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Fliggy
Finally, we address some of the most frequently asked questions about Fliggy.
What is Fliggy?
Fliggy is an online travel platform that offers exclusive experiences to travelers, owned by Alibaba Group.
What are the main functions of Fliggy?
Fliggy offers users a wide range of services, such as accommodation options, hotel deals, booking and fulfillment services for transportation, tourist attractions, and other travel products and services to meet consumers’ needs.
What is Fliggy's market share and growth?
Fliggy has a 16.5% market share and more than 10 million daily active users. The platform has experienced strong growth in Chinese consumer demand for overseas travel.
Why is it important to feature on Fliggy?
Having a presence on Fliggy is important to promote your hotel and reach Chinese clients. Fliggy is supported by Alibaba, which gives it a significant impact in the digital marketing arena.
How can I register a hotel on Fliggy?
To register a hotel on Fliggy, you need to follow the steps below:
- Create or log in with an Alibaba account.
- Submit company information, including business license, tax registration, trademark registration certificate, among other documents.
- Wait for verification, which usually takes 3 to 5 business days.
- Pay the required annual fee.
- Set up your Fliggy account and start managing your hotel on the platform.
