Dr Mathew McDougall’s presentation "Technology in Tourism" that was delivered on day 1 of the forum. The forum aims to provide a Pan-Asia-Pacific platform for policy makers, senior officials, researchers and industry representatives to take stock of the global & regional trends and their impact on tourism on an annual basis. The event, under the unique and joint umbrella of UNWTO and PATA, helps participants to share information, analyse the current situation and map out the next course of action for the future.

1. Technology
in
Tourism
Dr. Mathew McDougall
CEO, Founder; Digital Jungle

2. There is a lot of technology in tourism!
…. so what are we going to focus on?
Social media is impacting tourism in increasing ways- as an industry
we must embrace new technologies to understand this powerful

3. China has a rich and diverse set of social media sites

4. Chinese Social Media Universe Fast Facts
(Source: China Internet Network Information Center June, 2011)

5. As of the end of June 2011, Chinese netizens reached to 485
Million Internet Users

6. Average duration for netizens to surf internet is18.7 hours per
week- an increase of 0.4 hour compared to the end of 2010

7. There were 318 million users of blogs, increased 23.18 million
compared with those at the end of 2010

8. 301 million users of online video sharing sites.

9. Netizens accessing the Internet at Internet café 33.76 million

10. my weibo ID:
sinotechian
In the first half of 2011, Chinese microblog users increased
from 63.11 million to 195 million rapidly, increasing 132 million
in half a year, with a growth rate as high as 208.9%

11. There are 318 million mobile phone netizens with an
increase of 14.94 million compared to the end of 2010

12. Online shopping users had reached 173 million. Chinese
users of group buying grew from 18.75 million at the end of
2010 to 42.20 million in middle 2011

13. By the end of Jun 2011, Chinese users of travel booking
engines increased to 36.86 million

14. China
Internet
Marke=ng
News,
Sta=s=cs
&
Insights
17u.com
2%
12580.10085.cn
others
3%
18%
ctrip.com
47%
118114.cn
8%
elong.com
8%
mangocity.com
7%
huitongke.com
7%
Top online travel booking websites (by revenue)

15. Interesting Chinese usage information

16. So… are there some tips we
can use to leverage Chinese
social media for Tourism

17. • Monitor the channels they’re using.
• What are they saying about your brand?
• What are they saying about competitors’ brands?
• Pre-empt reputational crises. Be ready to respond when
necessary.
1. Listen to them

18. • Remember our Chinese netizens are different in
behavior and in online intent
• Consider what are their motivations for using social
media (are you wanting to reach a broad or narrow
demographic)?
• How do they interact with different social media
channels?
• How to they interact with each other across these
channels?
• What drives them to participate and spread messages?
• What kinds of messages will they be receptive to?
2. Understand them

19. • Don’t simply jump on the social media bandwagon.
• When engaging Chinese through social media you must
know which medium is right for your message and your
objective
• i.e. when to use corporate blogs vs. forums vs. social
networking sites.
• After selecting your channels, make sure your brand is
highly visible to the public.
3. Be visible to them

20. • Why should Chinese netizens engage with your brand
and spread your message?
• Is it a social currency?
• Does it leverage opinion leadership among their peers?
• Timely and compelling content?
• Access to exclusive promotions?
• Incorporate incentives that will drive interest and
participation.
4. Know what incentives work for them

21. • Be authentic and transparent in communicating
across social media.
• Try to add legitimate value to netizens’ online
experiences.
• Most importantly, don’t try to deceive this group–
they are smart and it will only lead to backlash and
reputational damage.
5. Gain and maintain their trust

22. Gaining insights from Chinese
social media using technology

23. SIP：Enterprise
Leading Chinese Social Media platforms

24. Buzz by time then by destination
Determine online buzz by competitor

25. Where are people What do people
talking? think?
Which channels are
people talking in?
Today’s social media technology

26. Weibo Analysis
• Fans
• Followers
• Content
• Geography
• Comment Age
• Demographics
Understanding your Weibo account

27. Competitive analysis
Destinations can understand how they
compare in key areas
Using technology to gain greater understanding

28. In China, we have a rich Social Media environment
Chinese online user behavior is different to the West – Chinese are
more social, trusting and entertainment oriented
Also, impacting business like never before. Destinations must look
at their online brand health, online reputation and product
promotions
Social media is not simply random posting on various media’s but
using conscious engagement strategies targeting specific netizens
Tools & Technologies are available for monitoring and analyzing
your Chinese social media programs (however, not as many as for
Western social media)
5 Parting Thoughts

29. Follow on Twitter: @sinotechian
Follow on Weibo: sinotechian
Connect on Facebook:
www.facebook.com.sinotechian
Read my blog:
www.dmic.asia
Connect on Linkedin:
www.linkedin.com/in/drmathewmcdougall
Dr. Mathew McDougall!
Chief
Execu=ve
Officer
My presentations on Slideshare:
www.slideshare.net/digitaljungle
Also, don’t miss out on my new book!
“The Chinese Social Media Universe” !