For journey manufacturers wanting to faucet into the booming Chinese language outbound market, RedNote — recognized domestically as Xiaohongshu — is quickly turning into the indispensable platform for journey inspiration and genuine user-generated evaluations. The social media app is reshaping how vacationers plan their journeys and uncover new locations.
RedNote is “the primary place now that Chinese language folks go for journey inspiration,” in line with Olivia Plotnick, who runs Wei Social, a Shanghai-based consulting agency that helps world manufacturers develop social media advertising methods for the Chinese language market.
In 2021, when RedNote customers found that Dusseldorf has a thriving Asian meals scene, the hashtag #weekendtriptoDusseldorf began trending. A report in Remainder of World talked about how the platform opened up Düsseldorf’s meals scene to a rising Chinese language diaspora throughout Europe. Boaobao, a Chinese language-style bakery in Dusseldorf talked about that they solely use Chinese language on-line platforms: WeChat for funds and RedNote for promotion.
Launched in 2013 as a distinct segment procuring app centered on abroad luxurious items, RedNote shortly advanced as its customers started sharing insights on eating, lodging, and native experiences. Right this moment, it has over 300 million registered customers.
Dragon Path’s Chinese language Outbound Journey Commerce Survey in January 2025 confirmed practically half of the surveyed journey brokers stated they’ve embraced social media platforms like RedNote for journey gross sales, and conversion charges are above common.
A Strong Journey Platform
RedNote is an efficient platform for journey suggestions, stated Plotnick. Mainland vacationers want evaluations from fellow Chinese language attributable to their shared tradition. “It’s a “place to talk, uncover and be taught—a useful gizmo, not an aspirational web site,” she stated.
What units it aside is that 90% of its content material is user-generated relatively than reposted from widespread influencers, in line with Sienna Parulis-Prepare dinner, Dragon Path’s director of selling and communications.
This dedication to authentic content material is what makes it really feel genuine and reliable, Prepare dinner stated in a weblog publish. “This (90% user-generated) is definitely a ratio actively upheld by Xiaohongshu (RedNote) as an organization by limiting paid posts,” she stated.
Not like websites corresponding to Instagram or Pinterest, creators on RedNote provide detailed itineraries and ranked lists. For instance, a creator might publish info on 5 totally different cafes they visited in a sure metropolis, together with thorough evaluations of the meals, stated Plotnick. This stage of element helps different customers plan their very own journeys.
The typical Chinese language person conducts intensive analysis on RedNote earlier than reserving their very own journey, getting into over 100 search queries and studying greater than 300 posts, in line with Dragon Path.
China’s Altering Journey Market
Youthful vacationers (born post-2000) who grew up on-line are a quickly rising demographic. This technology is now nearly half of the core marketplace for China-based journey brokers. Whereas drawn to luxurious journey and cruising, this age group is more and more focused on area of interest manufacturers and incorporating sustainability, community-based experiences and volunteering into their journeys.
Rising journey traits on RedNote embody nature journey, birdwatching and cultural heritage experiences. In September 2024, essentially the most searched hashtags have been—so as—#visa-free, #independant, #expertise, and #seasonal.
Plotnick stated younger Chinese language are more and more in search of distinctive experiences associated to well being, wellness, spa and health. “Fashionable Chinese language are searching for to complement their lives in significant methods,” she stated.
One other issue is the rise of digital nomadism as youthful, longer-term vacationers search a method to mix work with journey and expertise extra cultural connection in nations they go to.
RedNote’s Affect on the Abroad Journey Market
It’s an more and more vital platform for manufacturers wanting to succeed in the Chinese language abroad journey market. Final yr, Chinese language vacationers took an estimated 130 million outbound journeys. In January 2024, the platform had over 19 million customers with “excessive potential” for reserving outbound journey and abroad journey searches on the platform elevated 107% yr on yr.
RedNote customers are 70% feminine and 30% male, stated Plotnick. RedNote’s information reveals that of the customers who conduct searches on the time period “outbound journey,” 77% are feminine, 80% are between the ages 19 – 35, and 40% come from first-tier Chinese language cities.
Successful Over RedNote Customers
RedNote customers are suspicious of paid content material, Plotnick stated. Celebrities or these with massive followings might have massive preliminary attain however smaller creators and micro-influencers are extra trusted and their posts usually tend to translate into gross sales.
“Massive manufacturers might even see it as dangerous to provide management over to creators. Nonetheless, a smaller creator is aware of their viewers and platform a lot better than the model does, so [it’s good] to provide creators autonomy,” stated Plotnick.
Due to the reliance on user-generated content material, RedNote is an efficient place for manufacturers to watch their popularity and get sincere suggestions about services.
Plotnick added that abroad firms that need to entice Chinese language vacationers ought to contemplate including WeChat and Ali Pay capabilities — extensively utilized in China — for his or her services. Abroad companies which settle for these cost platforms are prone to entice extra Chinese language vacationers.
