A post about New Zealand’s new five-year visa for Chinese travellers was the most viewed WeChat post in the Tourism category in the first quarter of 2017.
The post, which received 42,275 views, was posted on the Tourism New Zealand WeChat profile (ID: Pure100newzealand) to share information about the change in visa options. The post also included itinerary details for new and returning visitors and featured lists of the country’s top destinations, brimming with beautiful images.
Proving that Chinese audiences love images, the second most popular post was from Japan’s National Tourism Organisation promoting Sakura, or cherry blossom, season in Japan with stunning photos of the blooming flowers.
Tourism Australia’s most popular post, which ranked third overall with 30,703 views, featured a host of cute images of the different kinds of Kangaroos in Australia.
In the airline category, low cost airline AirAsia dominates the category with a regular stream of flight deals, many of which attract more than 100,000 views. In Q1 its most popular post, promoted flight deals to summer holiday destinations like Thailand and Australia.
The post is almost double that of the category’s second most popular post, however while most airline posts promote flight deals or special price offers, the second most popular post in the category offered something different.
British Airways posted a Valentines Day post which served as a love letter to British things and a competition inviting WeChat users to tell their own love stories. This post attracted 52,904 views.
The statistics from Q1 2017 reveal the importance of beautiful and cute imagery for tourism destinations and the popularity of special price offers for flights. However, the success of British Airways shows how a creative competition can elevate engagement for a brand.
