Frankfurt, Germany – 28 August 2017 –
This month has seen Deutsche Hospitality open up an account with WeChat in China. WeChat is one of the country’s leading mobile communication platforms and is used on a daily basis by more than 900 million smart phone owners. The app provides instant messaging and social media functions alongside numerous other services such as mobile payment.
WeChat has also become an integral part of the world of work, where it is increasingly replacing written correspondence and e-mail. Deutsche Hospitality is using a new B2B channel to address its business customers in China and to focus more sharply on the Chinese outbound travel industry. This enables tour operators and travel agencies to receive the latest news about Deutsche Hospitality at first hand. Chinese language information about the group’s hotels and offers is also sent directly to their mobile end devices. The Deutsche Hospitality WeChat channel may be accessed via this link.
Chinese contacts are initially being provided with details about the Steigenberger and IntercityHotel branded hotels that are taking part in the China Selection Programme. This is a particular service tailored to the needs of Chinese guests. It features an extensive package of amenities such as Chinese TV channels, payment via UnionPay card and certain foods and beverages. Further contents of the WeChat channel include Deutsche Hospitality news that is of interest to the Chinese market.
Deutsche Hospitality has maintained a presence on Sina Weibo, the largest microblogging site in China, for over two years. The two B2C channels Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts and IntercityHotel have been extremely successful in terms of targeting current and potential guests. Both inspiration and information are offered by presenting hotels and destinations on an ongoing basis.
China is one of the growth regions which forms an object of Deutsche Hospitality’s current focus, whilst the group’s hotels outside the People’s Republic are also proving massively popular with Chinese guests. Involvement on WeChat and Sina Weibo represents a significant step in terms of continuing to raise the presence and profile on the Chinese market.