In 2021, the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the tourism industry has a difficult start, and a new situation and new trends are taking hold.

With the mutation of the epidemic and vaccination, the fight against the epidemic has entered the gaming field in the new year, and so have tourism companies and practitioners.

After experiencing a torturous 2020, certainties such as the normalization of the epidemic, a longer recovery period for the industry, and severe business losses will create a life-and-death game environment for travel companies in 2021, which will also determine whether they can overcome it. In 2021, there will be a "gap" between the possibility of real recovery and even nirvana.

In the year of Xin Chou, how to respond and how to turn things around?

Here, Zhihui launches a Spring Festival special edition, inviting big names in the cultural and tourism industry to write articles to condense their actions and thoughts, so as to get a glimpse of the future and analyze the general trend.

The second article comes from Mr. Xiao Yuanshan, one of the first founders of the China Tourism Industry Association of 100 and CEO of Jiacheng Travel. After meeting 100 tourism industry CEOs, what kind of profound understanding and insights does he have about the cultural tourism industry? ?

The China Tourism Association of 100, a tourism industry community that I participated in launching at the end of 2020, completed the first round of industry exchange activities in 8 cities in January.

Despite the risk of the epidemic, I participated in all 8 exchange activities. Through one-on-one visits and group discussions, I met more than 100 CEOs of small and medium-sized travel companies in 8 cities. .

The situation in each city is different, but everyone is trying to persevere, even if 2021 is not better than 2020 at the beginning.

Whether in Xi'an, Chengdu or Chongqing, or in Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou, as well as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, every CEO wants to find an answer through communication, how will my company be in 2021? To survive?

This question is too big for me, and I am not qualified to give advice. However, a friend of mine in the legal field often told me that the answer lies in the question. yes! In each case of these 100 CEOs, there may be answers to the questions they want to ask.

Before the Spring Festival, Zhihui asked me to do a preliminary analysis of the industry trends in 2021. Taking this opportunity, I will share what I saw, heard, and learned in January. I would like to share some classic cases and my summary with you, which may provide some reference and inspiration to colleagues in the industry.

01 The “Three Departures” of the tourism industry have become a foregone conclusion in 2020

The view of “Three Departures” was put forward by Dean Dai Bin in December last year. The original words are: "After this epidemic, the tourism industry will never go back to the past. Going away from travel agencies, going away from star-rated hotels, and going away from scenic spots may be trends worth thinking about." What I saw in the exchange What is the situation like?

1.1 De-travel agency

I need to add an attributive in front of Dean Dai’s original sentence to de-travel the traditional travel agency, especially to travel stores. Friends in the industry in Xi'an told me that almost 100% of the tourism stores in Xi'an are closed; friends in the industry in Chongqing told me that about 70% of travel agencies in Chongqing have not resumed operations; even in the Pearl River Delta region, which has the most dynamic economy in China, Shenzhen I If the store managers or sales department contractors I know have not completely changed careers, they will focus mainly on a side business other than tourism. This side business includes red wine, tea, insurance, purchasing agents, and live broadcast training...

< p> De-travel agency actually means getting rid of middlemen. If it is just a combination of the traditional six elements of food, accommodation, travel, shopping and entertainment, in the consumption scenario of domestic tourism, we cannot see what consumer demand for travel agencies is.

In the outbound travel scene, one travel agency’s competitor is often another outbound agency, and customers will compare prices everywhere with free itinerary plans. Back to domestic tourism, travel agencies provide products in the traditional model. The biggest competitors are tourists’ feet, and the second is the APP on their mobile phones.

If travel agencies are still living in the original industry chain model, it is time to “get rid” of them.

1.2 De-scenic spots

I didn’t have time to go to scenic spots along the way, but based on the feedback from travel agencies, I also had a little understanding, plus the news "Huangshan Mountain" that hit the screen a few days ago The scenic spot received 1.51 million tourists into the mountain last year, and Huangshan’s tourism budget exceeded 30 million." Let me express my opinion a little bit.

The biggest problem of scenic spots now is that they only meet the needs of tourists, lack innovation and content, and have low re-visit and repurchase rates. The income of scenic spots mainly relies on the "ticket economy", and the ticket price of Chinese scenic spots It is also the most expensive in the world.

Over the years, tourist attractions have given mainstream consumers an inherent perception that they are overcrowded during holidays, ticket prices are too expensive, and they have to compete with senior groups for photo spots. If possible, try not to go to core domestic scenic spots. That's the case for me personally.

Exquisite camping products that have become popular in 2020 and are expected to continue to grow in 2021 are examples of consumers voting with their feet. They choose a place with a scenery that is no worse than a scenic spot and take their children to do outdoor sports. , girlfriends are having afternoon tea, why do they still go to the scenic spot to join in the fun?

In Chengdu, I saw several colleagues actively stepping out of line, looking for places with safe environment, beautiful scenery, differentiation and exclusive thresholds in the rich natural resources in western Sichuan to build their own experience scenes. People's choice is within the paid scenic spots.

1.3 De-star hotelization

In Hangzhou, I made a special trip to visit Mr. Chen Xihui, the founder of “Hotel Bang”, a community of big accommodation companies. We are in a very unique hotel We chatted all afternoon in the teahouse and synchronized a lot of information about the large accommodation industry.

The basis for de-star hotelization is mainly that the consumer population is getting younger and younger. Just like the inherent perception conveyed by scenic spots (this perception is not necessarily correct), younger consumers believe that star hotels A first-class hotel is just Roman columns + white gloves + executive chairs. This is a style they will definitely not choose in life, let alone spend a lot of money to experience it.

B&Bs as a whole have impacted the attractiveness of star-rated hotels to customers, and the internal polarization within B&Bs is also further increasing. The good news is that major domestic accommodation brands such as Kaiyuan and Huazhu have emerged. Kaiyuan’s sub-brand Kaiyuan Senbo has just received a strategic stake from China Travel Investment. Kaiyuan Hotel’s H shares, which have recently been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, have received investment from Sequoia Capital and Ou. Ling Capital’s privatization offer and Kaiyuan Hotel’s delisting will usher in more “space for choice.”

02 What are the small and medium-sized travel companies that have not given up doing?

All the small and medium-sized travel companies I have seen are still persisting. What are the highlights among them that are worth recording?

2.1 The integration of culture and tourism is not just a government slogan

The slogan "Integration of culture and tourism" appears in almost all government documents related to the tourism industry, but it officially started from the merger of the Ministry of Culture and the General Administration of Tourism After so many years of shouting, has it had any effect?

The epidemic has accelerated this process.

In 2020, the epidemic has reduced the travel radius from outbound travel to domestic travel, then to intra-provincial travel, peripheral travel, and finally back to city travel. Those in the tourism industry who have not given up will not complain or admit defeat. In the city tour, the shortest travel mode, combined with the deep integration of culture and tourism, we have found a little market opportunity.

Our community has recently often discussed Citywalk, a mature travel product originating from abroad. In Europe, which has a long history and culture, the Gaudí tour in Barcelona and the Van Gogh tour in Amsterdam are both classic local routes.

China’s excellent culture is not inferior to that of Europe, but most of the previous tourists went abroad, at least to famous domestic scenic spots. The only ones that can attract tourists in the city are themes such as Chimelong and Happy Valley. Paradise. But new sprouts are happening. In the eight cities I visited, except for Shenzhen, the youngest, almost everyone was toying with cultural-themed Citywalks.

Chengdu’s Charles hires tricycles to take guests through the streets and alleys to taste Chengdu’s authentic snacks. Tourists can also DIY Sichuan cuisine; Youxiake has developed a themed hotpot route in Chongqing led by city experts. , the fees are not low; Boyahui in Hangzhou started to do "Hangzhou Day Tour" half-day tours after the epidemic, and was purchased by the local government for Hangzhou locals to experience. Twelve Hearts Customized Travel booked a garden in Xixi for those who love beauty. The young lady's immersive experience product "Song Feng Ya Ji" returns the elements of the Southern Song Dynasty in food, clothing, entertainment; Zhang Hongzhu, the eldest brother of Shaoxing, comes from the Zhang Jinlai family of Liu Xiaolingtong, and together with his father, the famous artist Xiao Qilingtong, he developed the "Monkey King Belt" The products of "You Travel to Shaoxing" are deeply loved by tourists from other provinces...

There is a saying that the more national it is, the more global it is. I will continue to say, the more local culture is rich, the more people can be deeply immersed in it. , the more popular it is with tourists from other places, there is no market for it.

I have my own criteria for judging urban cultural themed tourism products. If local residents are willing to spend money, there will be great market opportunities for tourists from other places.

2.2 Inspiration from inbound tourism practitioners

I myself am an outbound tourism operator, and I haven’t seen the light of day until now. Inbound tourism looks to be even worse than outbound tourism. , but there are also those who quietly transform and survive without complaining.

Liu Weidong of Xi'an Lecheng International Travel Service said that he has been engaged in inbound tourism reception for more than ten years. Now the so-called "small group tours" and "in-depth tours" that are popular in our domestic tourism products are actually foreigners 10 Leftovers from playing in China years ago. Many years ago, he organized foreign guests to participate in the summer transition of Kazakh herdsmen in Kanas, but such products are rare now.

It is actually a very trouble-free but effective way for inbound tourism practitioners to slightly optimize the set of products originally provided to foreigners and directly provide them to domestic tourists.

There is a saying that may not sound right to you. I am familiar with Europe because of my work. Regardless of IT technology and infrastructure, the business model of the European tourism industry is still many years ahead of China. Citywalk counts as one, and Citypass counts as one. One, Hop-on Hop-off Bus is also one. These products have just begun to sprout in China.

I once ran a tourism company in Guilin and was very familiar with Yangshuo. 7-8 years ago, in order to produce in-depth outdoor products, we climbed many unknown peaks in Yangshuo (including the later very popular Laozhaishan, Cuiping), there are almost no Chinese people in these places, but only blond and blue-eyed foreigners. I asked many Yangshuo locals who have never been there.

What is the product design direction of Deep Theme? Ask former inbound tourism practitioners, it is basically correct to follow in the footsteps of foreigners.

2.3 Why is it so important to divide people into groups?

We often say that birds of a feather flock together, and we also met a big brother in the same industry in Hangzhou this time, the deputy director of Hangzhou New China Brigade. General Manager Wang Yiqun. Teacher Wang told us that his parents strongly believed that people are divided into groups, so they simply gave him this name.

Why is this statement important to the tourism industry now? Let’s go back to the current crux. In the domestic tourism consumption scenario, tourists are unwilling to participate in “group tours”.

To be honest, if I just want to meet the basic vacation needs of food, accommodation, travel, shopping and entertainment, I will not join the group. I think there are not enough people. I insist on 50 people and a bus to go to the scenic spot to join in the fun? Not to mention 50 people, I think it’s too much to have 5 unknown people traveling with me.

But there is an exception, that is, when I am with friends in a certain theme community, people are divided into groups, and collective consumption is inevitable.

Chen Liangchen, the general manager of Wenzhou Niche Travel, "Dalu" brother, is a "good food and drink addict", and there is also a group of such fans around him. They first looked for food in Wenzhou, but got tired of it. Start looking for food all over Zhejiang, and then this "food appreciation group" is going to continue to go outside the province...

If there is no such a collective consumption scene where people are divided into groups, you will follow a group of strangers you don't know Go down?

Liu Han from Chongqing Heping International Travel Service is the operator of several brand car clubs in Chongqing. I asked him, Ding Zhen is so popular, have any of your car friends ever walked on National Highway 318? Brother Liu Han replied to me that some of them should be walked through, but if we car enthusiasts organize a self-driving 318 event and everyone goes together, those who have walked through it should still walk together again.

03 Directions that can be tried in 2021

The answers are all in the questions. In 2021, I found some directions that can be tried from the micro and micro levels. In fact, they were all seen during the visit In the case that arrived.

3.1 All in Content

This has been clear since Ctrip and Fliggy entered the content track with high profile last year, which put greater pressure on the original content platform Mafengwo. But whether it is Ctrip Fliggy, Mafengwo, or Douyin Xiaohongshu video account, creating content is the lowest-cost way to attract traffic in the tourism industry.

Some colleagues who used to be in the corporate business team don’t know how to retain and activate their old customers. In fact, creating content is the best way. Travel is low-frequency, but watching travel content is high-frequency. , to reach customers through content and let them feel our presence.

The relationship between content and monetization is not complicated. The product is content-based and the content is video-based, allowing good products to bring their own traffic and marketing attributes. A video with a strong story and beautifully produced can be a customer link. The content you are interested in should be one of our products. If the transaction threshold is not too high, you can convert it directly.

Try every means to have a relationship with your customer. It is a good idea to give him high-quality content until he is willing to have a business relationship with you.

3.2 Social interaction is a strong need

As has been analyzed before, grouping people into groups is very important for travel agency products. The underlying logic here is that social interaction is a strong need.

Human sociality determines the difference between humans and animals. The same hobbies and the same cognitive frequency are the prerequisites for us to be willing to stay with others. By dividing, forming, and maintaining communities through themed social networking, you can cultivate a group of people who can buy travel "group" products. However, "travel" in this product is secondary, which means I should say + travel instead of Travel+.

Fishing + travel, poetry + travel, cycling + travel... Every thematic social field is worth cultivating. Start with localized theme consumption scenarios to break the ice, interact, and activate the community atmosphere. One day, members of the community will want to go to other places to do this theme consumption. Isn't this natural + travel? Are the travel agencies that run the community still worried about not having orders?

We often say that it is not important what you eat, but who you eat with is important.

This sentence can be translated completely. It doesn’t matter where you travel. What matters is who you go with and for what purpose?

3.3 What to use for + travel

This is connected to the previous paragraph. What to use for + travel is the purpose of going with social friends. This must not be the basic purpose. Within the scope of meeting the tourism needs, this is also the difficulty in the transformation of travel agencies.

How to understand? We need someone who is good at a certain field, such as music, chess, calligraphy and painting. We organize people to practice calligraphy and painting in local academies every weekend. After a while, they will go to Wuzhen to paint Misty Rain in the South of the Yangtze River and Shaoxing to copy the Orchid Pavilion Preface. Isn’t it just + tourism? .

If the team lacks the ability structure of different industries, then integrate teams from different industries to cooperate. Ms. Zhang Lijun, a colleague in Changzhou, integrated local female intangible cultural heritage artists, writers, gourmets, plant space designers, Educators, gourmets and other resources have made many culture + travel products from a female perspective. I think it is a good attempt.

04 Summary

Now that Zhihui’s homework is finished, let me summarize my analysis of micro-level trends in the tourism industry in 2021.

Producing content will become the cheapest way to attract traffic. No matter what media platform you use, you can gather a group of fans who are interested in a specific field through content.

Themed social networking is the best way to maintain activity in the community and activate fans. Many leading businesses are already doing this, but there are more than tens of thousands of community theme categories, and there are There are many niche areas that can be entered.

After gathering enough people, we first activated them with products with low transaction threshold and high social attributes, and then started monetizing them using this theme + travel.

Customers of this kind of product are very sticky, and your price premium will be very strong. Members of the entire community are endorsing the product, and "everyone goes together" is the best reason.

Is this my prediction or suggestion? Forget it, many people are already taking action, it’s up to you whether you do it or not.