News Analysis: Package sales stimulate hotel market as off-season looms

As Chinese people rub their hands for yet another annual "Double 11" online shopping spree, e-commerce platforms like Taobao are no longer the only places they dwell upon.

Attracted by exclusive "Double 11" hotel packages -- usually heavily discounted multi-night stays at boutique hotels, resorts and guesthouses -- people are spending more time on the country's leading online travel agencies, such as Fliggy and Ctrip.

Fliggy felt the heat firsthand when it kicked off sales of this year's "Double 11" tourism packages on the evening of Oct. 21. Its revenue exceeded 1 billion yuan (about 140 million U.S. dollars) in just 53 seconds -- a dramatic acceleration from 13 minutes last year -- and surpassed last year's first-day sales total in just 52 minutes.

After a customer secures a holiday package, they can select any check-in date within that package's validity period, which is usually several months, and their payment will only go through once they confirm the dates of their stay.

These packages meet Chinese consumers' growing demand for good-value products and services, and as the time they have to make decisions is often limited, flexibility and convenience are increasingly significant when it comes to travel accommodation, according to a report from commercial property information provider Meadin.

For hotels, "Double 11" sales are another arena in the country's booming tourist market.

During the seven-day National Day holiday last month, China recorded 765 million domestic tourist trips, a year-on-year increase of 5.9 percent on a comparable basis, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The total spending of domestic tourists exceeded 700 billion yuan during the period, up 6.3 percent year on year and 7.9 percent from 2019, the data shows.

Notably, tourist demand for customized trips and exclusive experiences has been booming, stimulating a surge in county tourism and the rise of boutique homestays, which saw the highest growth rate in terms of quantity among all holiday accommodation types in September, according to the Meadin report.

A report released by bed and breakfast (B&B) booking platform Xiaozhu shows that during the National Day holiday, its B&B bookings increased by 37 percent compared to the same period last year.

"The competition has been fierce in the tourism market this year, and businesses are facing great challenges," said Shuai Mengting, who is in charge of Fliggy's "Double 11" sales, which she believes present an important opportunity for hotels in the upcoming off-season.

To take full advantage of the opportunity and secure more reservations for the off-season, hotels have been expanding their package sales channels by livestreaming and inviting influencers to promote their products.

Following that trend, Fliggy is also expanding its sales channels. During this year's "Double 11" sales, the company's marketing input on popular social media platforms like WeChat, Xiaohongshu and Weibo doubled compared to last year, Shuai said.

"In terms of value, the travel products for this year's 'Double 11' are arguably the best we've had in recent years," she said.