• In the first half of 2024, hotel bookings from Chinese travellers to Thailand and Malaysia experienced remarkable triple-digit year-over-year growth.
• Thailand saw a very substantial increase of 340% compared to the previous year, while Malaysia witnessed a surge of 780%.
• DidaTravel hosted a series of B2B roadshows and networking events in Beijing on September 3 and Shanghai on September 5, aimed at building a bridge between travel agents and hoteliers to seize new opportunities.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel wholesaler – has revealed substantial growth in booking demand for Thailand and Malaysia, fueled by a surge from the Chinese source market. In the first half of 2024, hotel bookings from Chinese travellers visiting Thailand rose by an impressive 340% compared to the same period the previous year. Likewise, hotel bookings from Chinese source market travellers visiting Malaysia surged by 780% during the first six months 2024. These numbers underscore the rising interest and confidence among Chinese travellers in these Southeast Asian destinations.   In Thailand, Chinese visitors are showing a strong preference for popular destinations such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Karon, Patong, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Koh Samui, Bang Phli, and Hat Yai. In Malaysia, the most sought-after destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Johor Bahru, Semporna, Langkawi, Malacca, Petaling Jaya, Sepang, and Ipoh.   In response to this significant demand, DidaTravel hosted a series of B2B business matchmaking and networking events in Beijing on September 3 and Shanghai on September 5. These events brought together major Chinese travel agencies experiencing outbound travel demand with hotel representatives from Thailand and Malaysia. The goal was to strengthen DidaTravel's role as a bridge between Chinese travel agencies and Southeast Asian hotel partners, actively addressing the rapid growth of China's outbound travel market and further enhancing the influence of international hotel brands in the Chinese source market.   Snow Xiao, Senior Director - Hotel Direct Contracting, Global at DidaTravel, commented: "The surge in bookings to Thailand and Malaysia highlights the growing enthusiasm of Chinese source market travellers in these destinations. We are dedicated to equipping our partners with the resources they need to harness this demand. Our events in Beijing and Shanghai reflected our commitment to fostering strong, lasting relationships between travel agencies and hoteliers. By enabling direct communication and collaboration, we aim to help our partners deliver exceptional, customised experiences that meet the evolving needs of today's travellers."

 

- “Many Western hoteliers are completely unaware of the Golden Week period – they have just heard of Chinese New Year it seems – but this is a significant travel period which many Chinese people use to travel abroad,” said DidaTravel’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nicky Ussamarn.

  - Driven by favorable visa policies, increased flights, and interest in global destinations, Chinese outbound travel has rebounded.   - DidaTravel advises Western hoteliers to showcase high-quality room photos and detailed descriptions, accept Chinese payment methods, offer visa services, focus on B2B retail sales, and target young, wealthy Chinese travellers, among other things.   As we approach the longest holiday season in China, DidaTravel – China’s largest outbound wholesaler of accommodation and flights – is helping hotelier partners around the world to prepare by highlighting the Golden Week (also known as National Day) festival in October.   The company is firstly drawing attention to the fact that the national holiday calendar this year is different from last year's, which saw a combined Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week period to create one of the longest ever holiday periods suitable for extended travels.   Instead this year the Mid-Autumn Festival runs from Sunday, September 15th, to Tuesday, September 17th, making a short holiday period that creates a long weekend, meaning Chinese travellers are likely choose short domestic getaways to visit family.   However, 'Golden Week', will occur from October 1st to October 7th, 2024, making this seven-day holiday one of the busiest travel periods in China, as tens of millions of people make the most of the break to go on vacation and take advantage of long-haul trips.   Typically in China travellers tend to book hotels and flights within a week for domestic travel and 2-4 weeks in advance for long-haul trips. Hence, in order to attract Chinese travellers for international travel during the Golden Week, it’s essential for Asia Pacific, Middle Eastern and Western hoteliers to prepare now.   This year, moreover, China’s outbound travel has bounced back, driven by more favourable visa policies, increased airline capacity, and a growing interest in diverse global destinations. As the demand for international travel rises, Dida Travel advises Western hoteliers to take the following steps to cater to Chinese travellers’ preferences during the Golden Week:  

1. Showcase Room Photos: Use high-quality images to attract potential guests.
2. Detailed Room Descriptions: Clearly state room sizes in square metres.
3. Room Amenities: Ensure each room has a kettle and tea, and clearly state this on the website.
4. Payment Methods: Accept Chinese payment methods such as WeChat Pay and Alipay.
5. Social Media Presence: Open WeChat and other relevant social media accounts for customer service.
6. Visa Services: Provide visa arrangements for Chinese travellers where available.
7. B2B Retail Sales: Focus on B2B retail sales, not just B2C channels.
8. Last-Minute Bookings: Be prepared for last-minute bookings, as Chinese travellers often make spontaneous travel decisions.
9. Targeting Young Travellers: Market to younger travellers, as China has a higher percentage of wealthy Millennials and Gen Z compared to Europe and the Americas.

  “Many non-Chinese hoteliers are completely unaware of the Golden Week period – they have just heard of Chinese New Year it seems – but this is a significant travel period which Chinese people use to travel abroad and as such these hoteliers could be missing out,” said Nicky Ussamarn, DidaTravel’s Chief Commercial Officer “Understanding what Chinese travellers want is crucial for Western hoteliers to tailor offerings and experiences that match these changing preferences. Our insights and recommendations are designed to help hoteliers align their services with the specific needs and expectations of Chinese tourists, ensuring a more enjoyable and satisfactory experience for this fast growing market segment.   “Simply having a Chinese language website or even employees on your property is just not enough. We want to remind hoteliers looking to attract Chinese travellers for the Golden Week festival period that there is still time to adapt – even if this is the first they hear of the festival – as travellers plan their long-haul trips only two to four weeks in advance!” Writen by Charles Kao, TravelMole

Germany hotels have reaped the benefits of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament. Tech-driven global travel wholesaler DidaTravel has crunched the hotel booking numbers, highlighting how the tournament has significantly boosted local economic impact. Based on DidaTravel bookings, Gelsenkirchen has experienced a huge 786% increase in year-on-year bookings. Other cities experiencing a significant uptick include Leipzig (570%), Dortmund (329%), Munich (124%), and Frankfurt (62%). Cities such as Cologne, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Berlin and Hamburg have also benefited from this surge. Overall, the average daily rate (ADR) for Germany hotels based on DidaTravel’s bookings  increased by more than one-third during the tournament compared to last year. DidaTravel booking data revealed that the average length of stay remains consistent with last year, averaging about two days per destination. There has however been a notable shift in the average booking window, which increased from 17 days in advance to 28 days. Gareth Matthews, CMO of DidaTravel said: "Smaller cities such as Gelsenkirchen, a destination not used to such high demand have much to celebrate.” For travel sellers around the world this underscores the importance of working with a B2B accommodation partner who can source hotels in secondary and tertiary destinations.” All data was based on bookings made through DidaTravel's platform and distribution channels. 

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• Year-to-date USA destination hotel sales (TTV*) from source markets worldwide have grown by +205% compared to the previous 12 months.
• The top 5 source markets booking the USA on Dida’s platform are China (+277%), Brazil (+229%), UK (+110%), Italy (+125%) and South Korea (+310%).
• The top 5 most popular US destinations include New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
• DidaTravel has a portfoilo of 10,000 directly contracted hotels in the US (+60% growth year-on-year), with a healthy average ADR** growth of +21%.
• This announcement comes just ahead of the IPW show in Los Angeles, where DidaTravel’s America’s team will be exhibiting.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel wholesaler – today announced impressive year-to-date sales growth to USA destinations.   For DidaTravel - the leading wholesaler in China and APAC - global expansion, and the USA in particular, have been a key strategic focus over the past few years and the year-to-date TTV* growth of +205% inbound to the US, outstripping the wider market, is testament to the success of this strategy.   This inbound US growth has been generated from Dida’s global client portfolio that features more than 35,000 travel trade clients, including tour operators, travel agents and airlines, distributing to the 125 source markets in which DidaTravel is active. The current top five markets driving the fastest growth into the US, via Dida’s platform include China (+277%), Brazil (+229%), UK (+110%), Italy (+125%) and South Korea (+310%).   The most popular US cities booked on Dida’s platform include New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The company has expanded rapidly across all key US destinations, with a +60% year-on-year increase in the size of Dida’s directly contracted US portfolio, which now stands at 10,000 properties and continues to grow, many of them contracted under unique or differentiated conditions.   Average, year-on-year ADR increases in the US of +21% complete the positive picture for DidaTravel’s hotel partners.   Suman Khan – Director of International Chains commented "As one of the most visited countries in the world, offering such iconic destinations, the US is clearly of key strategic importance to a global travel wholesaler like DidaTravel. We are therefore delighted that we continue to go from strength to strength and register such rapid sales growth across US destinations.   For our hotel partners, Dida’s global B2B reach and distribution capability, fully aligned and complementary to their direct marketing strategies, helps them to effectively meet their occupancy targets while attracting high value guests from hard-to-reach markets.   We are very grateful to all our partners for their continued confidence in Dida and we look forward to meeting many of them at the upcoming IPW show".   DidaTravel will be exhibiting at IPW in Los Angeles, booth 751, May 3rd – 7th   *TTV = Total Transaction Value **ADR = Average Daily Rate All data is based on bookings made via DidaTravel’s platform and distribution channels and compares the full year performance up to 15^th April 2024, versus the prior 12 months.

 

• Year-to-date outbound TTV* sales from across the GCC source markets have grown by an average of +104% compared to the 12 months previous.
• The fastest growing source markets were Saudi Arabia (+202%), Qatar (+199%), Kuwait (+157%) and Bahrain (+104%).
• Top international destinations booked by GCC travellers included the UK, Turkey, Thailand, USA, Indonesia and Malaysia.
• From an inbound perspective, the top international source markets booking to the GCC region on Dida’s platform included China, India, UK and USA, with strong average ADR** growth of +31% being recorded across the region.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel wholesaler – today announced, strong year-to-date sales growth from across GCC source markets and destinations ahead of the ATM show.   For DidaTravel, the leading B2B travel wholesaler in China and APAC, the GCC region has been of increasing strategic focus over the past few years and the year-to-date growth is testament to the success of this strategy with an average outbound sales increase of +104% from GCC source markets.   The fastest growing GCC markets were Saudi Arabia (+202%), Qatar (+199%), Kuwait (+157%) and Bahrain (+104%), while the most popular destination countries were the UK, USA, Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.   From an inbound perspective, the most popular GCC destinations continue to be Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyad, Doha and Jeddah. Year-to-date average daily rates (ADRs), for GCC destinations booked through DidaTravel’s platform and distribution channels have grown by a very positive average of +31%.   In addition, DidaTravel’s flight distribution business has been growing very fast across the GCC region with average regional outbound sales growth of +556% year-to-date.   Jinyan Li - VP of Global Account Management at DidaTravel commented "For DidaTravel, the GCC region is of paramount strategic importance from both a source market and destination perspective, so it is great to see such positive results over the past 12 months after all the hard work of both our sourcing and distribution teams.   We are grateful to all our hotel and distribution partners in the region for their continued confidence in Dida and we look forward to meeting everyone at the upcoming ATM show".

Travel distributor DidaTravel has inked a deal with Visit Oman to help boost inbound tourist arrivals to the Gulf state. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed at ITB Berlin. The partnership outlines areas of collaboration which include DidaTravel offering Visit Oman's contracted hotels, transfers, and experiences to China based travel partners via API integration. It will give Visit Oman access to DidaTravel's portfolio of Chinese travel trade customers. They will embark on joint marketing initiatives to increase brand awareness and drive travel demand from China to Oman. Jinyan Li, VP Global Account Management at DidaTravel said "This collaboration holds immense potential to foster cultural exchange and strengthen ties between our nations". DidaTravel works with over 30,000 travel buying clients around the world, including travel agencies, tour operators, wholesalers, OTAs and TMCs.

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Travel distribution firm DidaTravel has released its latest hotel booking data highlighting the scale of Chinese outbound travel during the Chinese New Year holidays.  The Lunar New Year eight-day holiday starts on Saturday 10 February through Saturday 17 February. Based on DidaTravel hotel booking data, total outbound bookings reached a three-year high, with an increase of over 310% compared to 2023. Specifically looking at Southeast Asia, outbound hotel bookings by Chinese travellers in Singapore increased 11-fold YoY, while hotel bookings in Malaysia grew 9-fold. In Thailand they were up 243%. These figures can be attributed to both pent-up demand after the lifting of border restrictions in mainland China and the recent visa exemption policies in these countries.  The top destinations for outbound mainland Chinese travellers during this period include Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Australia, the Philippines, Spain, and the US. In addition, long-haul destinations in Europe, such as France, Italy, UK, and Germany, and Mexico, Brazil, and Canada remain popular with Chinese travellers. During the holidays, the ADR (average daily rate) for hotels saw a significant global increase of 32% YoY. This increase is partly attributable to demand for higher standard hotels. Notably, DidaTravel data found a decrease in bookings for one and two-star hotels, dropping from 7% to 2.6%. Additionally, bookings for three to four-star hotels saw a slight decline from 69.7% to 65.2%. Bookings for five-star hotels rose from 23.3% to 32.2. The average length of hotel stays increased from 2.8 to 3 days. Rikin Wu, CEO of DidaTravel, said: “We are thrilled to witness the enthusiasm of Chinese travellers to explore international destinations and new experiences." DidaTravel has a portfolio of over 70,000 competitively sourced direct hotel contracts – as well as 1,000,000 hotel products from over 600 global suppliers. 

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China’s recent tourist visa relaxation is having an immediate impact. Travel tech firm DidaTravel has shared data showing a positive impact for inbound travel to China. It comes after China made a recent visa exemption announcement. China announced visa-free travel for nationals of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia, which took effect from 1 December. It will last for one year and is valid for stays of up to 15 days for business travel, tourism, and visiting family. It is also valid for transit within China. The aim is to stimulate inbound tourism. DidaTravel’s booking data shows hotel bookings from the six countries have grown by over 50% from 1 December to 7 December in comparison to the previous week. Hotel bookings for travelers from Spain to China have jumped by more than 100% compared to the previous week. Bookings from Malaysia to China are up 67% week on week. Although the wider Chinese inbound market is still down on pre-pandemic levels, DidaTravel’s year-to-date inbound hotel sales to China have seen 151% growth vs. the same period in 2019. China only fully reopened for tourism in early 2023. According to DidaTravel’s year-to-date total transaction value, Spain, Malaysia, and Italy have been among the top 20 source markets for inbound China travel in 2023. The most booked destinations in China are Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Rikin Wu,  CEO of DidaTravel, said: “We were really excited about the growth opportunity for China’s inbound tourism sector as result of this news.” “We are committed to supporting our global partners not only hotels, but also tours, experiences and transfers.” DidaTravel sources its inventory through direct contracts with hotels, chains and channel managers. It has a portfolio of over 70,000 direct hotel contracts – as well as 1,000,000 hotel products from over 600 global suppliers.

 

• DidaTravel, the global B2B travel distributor, has achieved rapid growth rates in its European source markets with Europe now representing over 20% of its total business.
• DidaTravel’s sales acquisition team, including Frank Wöller, Patrice Vales, Paul Riches, and Jessica Cifuentes provide Dida with a breadth of experience in this market and have been instrumental in driving DidaTravel's growth across Europe.
• DidaTravel's Flight business is also rapidly growing, serving 500+ global airlines and 20,000+ routes, with substantial growth across Asia, Europe, Americas and the UK.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel distribution company, is pleased to announce remarkable sales growth across key European source markets as part of its highly effective global expansion strategy first launched in 2018.   DidaTravel, a leader in China and Asia Pacific source markets embarked on its global expansion strategy in 2018, and the results since have been exceptional with year-to-date 2023 sales significantly outperforming the same period comparing both 2019 and 2022. This growth highlights Europe's increasing significance in the companies’ business which now represents over 20% of its total revenue and continues to grow in significance. The top four European source markets for the company are Spain, UK, Italy, and France.  

• Spain: In the Spanish market, DidaTravel has witnessed an extraordinary surge in growth. Comparing year-to-date (YTD) 2023 sales figures with YTD 2019, the growth rate stands at an astounding 358%. Even comparing the same period of the previous year (2022), the growth rate is still a remarkable 182%. The top five destinations for the Spanish market booked via DidaTravel’s platform are the USA, Japan, Thailand, Italy and UAE.

 

• United Kingdom: The UK is another source market where DidaTravel is making a big impact. Its YTD 2023 sales growth rate versus 2019 stands at an impressive 341%, indicating a steady ascent in its influence in this important market. Even comparing to the year prior (2022), Dida has achieved a remarkable growth rate of 224%. The top five destinations for the UK market, include the USA, Italy, UK, Thailand and Turkey, highlighting the global appeal of DidaTravel's

 

• Italy: Italy has also witnessed a steady upward trajectory within DidaTravel's portfolio. YTD 2023, the growth rate versus 2019 hit 312%. And comparing 2022, DidaTravel posted a sales growth rate of 97%. The top five destinations for the Italian market, include Italy itself, USA, France, Spain and UK.

 

• France: DidaTravel's entry into the French market (which commenced after 2019), has been nothing short of remarkable with the growth rate comparing YTD 2022 standing at an impressive 356%. This rapid rise highlights the company's ability to establish a strong presence in new markets quickly. The top five destinations for French travellers are: France, USA, Italy, Spain and the UK.

  DidaTravel's growth rates across top European markets reflects not only the quality of Dida’s technology and product portfolio but also its client acquisition team which includes the following industry veterans:  

• Frank Wöller, VP of Business Development, EMEA leads the EMEA client acquisition team. Frank joined DidaTravel in April, focusing on new API client acquisition, with a special emphasis on the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.
• Patrice Vales, Sales Director South Europe. With over 30 years of experience in the tourism and tech industries, Patrice brings a wealth of knowledge to DidaTravel, having held key roles in various prestigious industry companies.
• Paul Riches: Serving as a sales consultant, Paul’s experience is helping to develop DidaTravel's client acquisition efforts across the UK and Ireland.
• Jessica Cifuentes: Jessica plays a key role as a Sales Development Representative for EMEA, contributing to the company's new client acquisition approach across the region.

  DidaTravel's flight business is also experiencing rapid growth. The company's product portfolio includes 500+ global airlines and 20,000+ routes. In the first nine months of 2023, the airline ticketing business saw remarkable growth, especially in its Asia, Europe, North America, and the UK markets with growth rates respectively of 388%, 195%, 188% and 174% quarter-on-quarter in Q3.   DidaTravel is thrilled to showcase this outstanding growth at WTM, underscoring its commitment to be a leading B2B travel distributor across Europe and worldwide. The company's dedication to leading technology, global expansion and customer satisfaction continues to drive its success.   Visit DidaTravel at WTM London, stand N10-311, from November 6th to November 9th, hosted at the ExCeL centre in London.

Travel distribution company DidaTravel has outperformed the wider Chinese outbound recovery, posting +40% growth in hotel booking sales, year-to-date. pre-pandemic. In addition, DidaTravel's inbound hotel booking sales into China, saw a huge +124% growth compared to 2019. This performance comes despite the inbound and outbound China market still not yet fully recovered. The top source markets visiting China based on DidaTravel's booking data have been Thailand, Indonesia, Spain, India, and Turkey. DidaTravel's growth has been driven principally by increasing its portfolio of directly contracted hotel products under exclusive terms. Rikin Wu, CEO at DidaTravel, said: "We effectively anticipated the Chinese recovery, and significantly expanded our portfolio of directly contracted hotels.” “The results speak for themselves." DidaTravel will be exhibiting at stand H23 during next week’s ITB China travel trade show.

Global distribution platform DidaTravel reveals summer hotel bookings have surpassed 2019 levels by a huge 93%. The surge in bookings for June 1 - August 31 shows the recovery of the wider hotel sector, including most recently the Asia Pacific region. Reservations made for the August period via DidaTravel's platform have surged by 214% year-on-year. Hotel bookings in European destinations have risen 123% year-on-year for the June, July and August travel period. Globally, ADR has increased by 35%, surpassing 2019 levels by 7%. However, APAC and Americas regions are still slightly below 2019 levels. Europe and the Middle East & Africa have exceeded 2019 levels, with ADR increases of 29% and 23% respectively year-on-year. DidaTravel says Asia travellers are showing increased confidence to book hotels further in advance, now rising to an average of 23 days. Europe is at 31 days, and the Americas is at just 19 days. Top summer destinations for Asian travelers are Bangkok and Tokyo. "The hospitality industry across APAC and worldwide has undergone a remarkable recovery. We are excited to witness such incredible growth numbers,” said Rikin Wu, CEO of DidaTravel.

 

• DidaTravel announces hotel bookings surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 volumes by 93% this summer season.^*
• Global ADR (Average Daily Rate) has also increased by 35% YOY and surpassed 2019 level by 7% when comparing the same period.^*
• Return of traveller confidence with increasing booking lead times across all outbound markets globally.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel distribution company – reveals that their global hotel bookings for the summer season (June 1 - August 31) have already surpassed 2019 levels by an impressive 93% increase compared to the same period in 2019.   This surge in bookings signals Dida’s expansion and growth globally as well as the strong recovery of the wider hotel sector, including most recently the APAC region.   Summer Bookings Reach New Heights   When looking at reservations made for the August period through DidaTravel’s platform they have skyrocketed by 214% year-on-year, indicating a strong rebound in travel demand.   Meanwhile hotel bookings in European destinations have witnessed a remarkable 123% increase in reservations year-on-year for the June, July and August arrival period. While hotel bookings for the same period in destinations in the APAC, Middle East & Africa, and Americas have seen growth rates of 68%, 65%, and 16% respectively, contributing to the global recovery.   Average Daily Accommodation Rate (ADR) on the Rise   As a global average, the ADR has increased by 35% year-on-year for the period, surpassing 2019 levels by 7%.   However, APAC and Americas are trailing just below 2019 levels, with ADR year-on-year increases of 55% and 14% respectively.   Nonetheless Europe and the Middle East & Africa have exceeded 2019 levels, with ADR increases of 29% and 23% respectively year-on-year, showcasing a strong recovery in these regions.   Extended Advance Booking Window   With the relaxation of travel restrictions in APAC, travelers are displaying increased confidence to book hotels further in advance – rising to an average of 23 days from just 10 during the same period last year, and even surpassing the average of 21 days in 2019.   However, for other markets whilst the booking window has increased significantly it has still not returned to 2019 levels yet. For example Europe is at 31 days, up from 24 last year but below the 2019’s level of 41 days. Meanwhile Americas is at just 19 days, up from 12 last year but well below the 37 days of 2019. Finally, the Middle East & Africa is at 12 days, up from 8 last year but also below 2019’s level of 18.   Top Summer Destinations   Ranked by accommodation bookings.     Rikin Wu, CEO DidaTravel commented, “As the summer season progresses, the hospitality industry across APAC and worldwide has undergone a remarkable recovery. We are excited to witness such incredible growth numbers, even compared to pre-pandemic. This is testament to the success of Dida’s international expansion strategy as well as the wider rebound in both short-haul and intercontinental travel this summer.   “With the increasing confidence of travelers and the relaxation of travel restrictions in APAC we expect the positive trend in hotel bookings to continue."   *All figures quoted in this press release are based on DidaTravel's accommodation booking data for reservations made for the 2023 summer season of June, July and August.