The average Chinese tourist tends to base travel decisions on destinations they are already familiar with and that will accommodate their unique needs and expectations, such as dietary preferences and group tour options. Qatar Tourism Authority sought to establish the destination as a viable travel option for the Chinese market and educate and train destination executives to have a deeper understanding of the Chinese travelers.
Client
Qatar Tourism Authority
Industry
Tourism
Services
Travel Trade & Product Development (Tourism)
Digital Marketing & Social Media
The Solution
Tasked with launching promotion of the destination in the Chinese market for the first time and enhancing Qatar Tourism’s brand in China, PTG Consulting built an in-depth, multidisciplinary strategy across online marketing, public relations, travel trade engagement, and social media platforms. Elements included building a strong travel trade distribution network, creating and promoting the destination’s online presence, and curating in-person experiences for key players in the Chinese travel industry.
The Results
PTG Consulting’s efforts resulted in extremely favorable engagement with the Chinese travel industry. Key results included:
Conducted brand alliances with telecommunications company Huawei for cross promotion with a smartphone launch that resulted in 190 million impressions and $15.9 million in ad value, and beauty brand Marie Dalgar that included a Qatar-themed cosmetic gift box promotion that resulted in 5.28 billion impressions and more than $20 million in ad value
Conducted 18 travel trade familiarization trips, hosting a total of 163 high-profile tour operators and trade media partners from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu
Collaborated with 29 tour operators and OTAs, including Utour, Leader Tour, and CTRIP, China’s largest outbound travel company, through established campaign partnerships
Developed 78 new packages to Qatar, reaching 16,145 consumers through co-op marketing campaigns
Showcased the destination at seven travel trade shows, including COTTM , CITM, BT MIE , MSRE, and ITB China, and through the execution six of roadshows
Developed and managed Qatar’s WeChat and Weibo social media accounts, gaining more than 15,069 WeChat followers and 17,858 Weibo followers
Shared 33 press releases and 33 media meeting pitches reaching a media audience of more than 228 billion with an ad value exceeding $2,907,488,988
Developed and managed a Chinese version of Qatar’s website
5 billion+
Impressions from brand partnerships
$2.9 billion+
Public Relations ad value
32,927
New social media followers
3,429
Travel advisor graduates from Qatar's e-learning program
Client Testimonial
"We were impressed with the positive engagement that PTG Consulting produced in the Chinese market."
Qatar Tourism