Hong Kong Emerges as Top Choice for Mainland Tourists on Xiaohongshu

Published on April 13, 2024

Xiaohongshu, a popular social media platform, has an impressive 200 million active users, with over 70% born in the 1990s. It has established a strong partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), working together to promote Hong Kong tourism. This collaboration aims to enhance efforts in reaching Mainland visitor markets by leveraging Xiaohongshu’s platform for cultural tourism promotion. HKTB expressed excitement about Hong Kong becoming the first outbound tourism choice for Mainland tourists to forge such a strategic partnership with a social media platform.

Notably, Hong Kong has been recognized as the “destination most-loved by users” on Xiaohongshu, ranking high on its search list among Mainland users. In a recent development, Mr. Dane Cheng, HKTB’s Executive Director, and a delegate attended the Xiaohongshu Cultural and Tourism Development summit in Quanzhou, Fujian, on April 10. During this summit, Xiaohongshu announced Hong Kong as the recipient of the “Destination Most-loved by Users – Highflyer of the Year” award, solidifying its position as a top choice for travelers according to Xiaohongshu users’ searches.

Mr Cheng said, “We are encouraged by the award ‘Destination Most-loved by Users – Highflyer
of the Year’. We would like to thank the KOLs for their authentic sharing of their first-hand experience
with Hong Kong’s diverse tourism offerings in their posts, which have inspired Mainland travellers to
come and explore Hong Kong in depth. Looking ahead, we are excited to confirm the partnership agreement with Xiaohongshu to launch more promotions to boost Hong Kong’s exposure in Mainland
and maintain Hong Kong’s top-tier popularity among Mainland visitors.”

Collaborating with Xiaohongshu, HKTB aims to amplify the reach and visibility of Hong Kong’s tourism topics. In the upcoming year, they plan to introduce several joint initiatives leveraging Xiaohongshu’s platform, which boasts hundreds of millions of users. By doing so, they aim to boost the exposure of their promotions significantly. Together, they will curate thematic promotions highlighting Hong Kong’s unique allure as an international hub with a rich cultural tapestry and a calendar filled with exciting events, catering to various segments in Mainland China accurately.

Furthermore, HKTB and Xiaohongshu will collaborate on generating fresh content by involving Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) from both Mainland China and Hong Kong. These KOLs will immerse themselves in Hong Kong’s cultural tourism scene, sharing their unique experiences and insights through user-generated content. This approach aims to inspire Mainland consumers with innovative ways to explore Hong Kong comprehensively, narrating authentic stories about the city firsthand.

Acknowledging the proliferation of diverse social media platforms, HKTB has proactively initiated efforts to promote Hong Kong tourism. Building on their previous successful partnership with Xiaohongshu, which resulted in over 10,000 travel-related posts and reached 300 million people, HKTB plans to launch even more engaging content. These initiatives aim to educate Mainland consumers about the myriad exciting experiences awaiting them in Hong Kong, fostering a deeper connection with the city.

In 2023, HKTB collaborated with Xiaohongshu on several partnerships.