The fast pace of change in social media tools and the travel market in China are combining to inspire a search for the best way to reach China’s increasingly affluent, increasingly independent travelers. The future of social media’s role in China’s travel market was a hot topic at the recent China Travel Distribution Summit at the OCT Interlaken Resort in Shenzhen. Online travel agencies, as well as hotels, airlines, and travel meta search sites-all kinds of companies effected by online travel research and booking-are looking for the best ways to use social media to connect with travelers. 

While online travel research and booking are growing, many players in the online travel market hope to see them pick up the pace, and are looking at social media as one way to capture the attention of Chinese travelers.  

“Currently less than 10 percent of our users book online,” says Ivan Zhang, CEO of travel meta search site Kuxun. “But in the future, I think that can be as much as 50 or 60 percent.”

At China Travel Daily’s recent China Travel Distribution Summit in Shenzhen, examples were lacking of social media campaigns that delivered clear ROI in travel search. While some players have been cautious with campaigns, others who have used social media haven’t found good ways to measure its effectiveness. But consumers in China will soon demand more, says Elliott Ng, founder of Uptake Networks. Ng recently visited China, stopping in three cities including Shenzhen, where he attended China Travel Daily’s summit.  Ng was surprised at the pace of change in the travel market here, and says he could see it leading to new tools for travelers that leverage search and social media.

“The Chinese travel market is growing so fast that consumers are going to start demanding the same things that travelers have elsewhere in the world. That means that people can start taking some of these social media models that work elsewhere, and copying them or being inspired by them.”

In his presentation at the China Travel Distribution Summit, Ng shared what he sees as the top trends affecting social media, search and travel in the United States. Among the half dozen trends he named, Ng included: “Social media creates new ways for travel professionals and enthusiasts to affect travel decisions.”