Social Media Buzz Surpasses 5 Million in China, Can the Explosive Trend in Harbin Be Replicated?
By Quan Wenjun
3 min read
Harbin, a city in Heilongjiang, China, drew unusual popularity in the winter of 2023. Instead of heading south for their holidays, as they usually do, Chinese tourists went north to enjoy Harbin's snowy landscapes. Chinese social media discussions about Harbin rose 55.58% from September to December 2023, to a total of 5.832 million mentions. The Harbin Tourism Bureau also reported record tourism revenue over the three-day New Year's holiday.
Key Point:
- Harbin's tourism is becoming more youthful, with Weibo having the highest number of posts about the city, and TikTok seeing increased user interactions. There's also a growing interest in hot springs and hotels.
- The abundance of ice and snow tourism resources in Harbin is driving the online skiing market. Additionally, the city's unique culinary scene, combined with its ice and snow attractions, is gaining popularity.
Southern “Small Potatoes” Brave the Chill in Harbin:#
Due to the petite stature of people from Southern China, often clad in light-colored down jackets, Harbin locals affectionately refer to visitors from the South as "small potatoes." Similarly, an analysis of Harbin-related topics reveals a trend towards younger tourists. According to Chinese Social Listening data from Moojing, from September 2023 to December 2023, the majority of those posting about Harbin were concentrated among individuals aged 30 and below.
Additionally, Harbin's local bathing culture has further heightened interest in hot springs and hotels. According to social listening data from Moojing, from September to December 2023, the volume of mentions related to "hot springs" in scenes associated with Harbin saw a staggering 1079.8% month-on-month increase.
E-commerce Product Market Driven by Ice and Snow Tourism#
Harbin, being a northern city with abundant ice and snow tourism resources, has seen a surge in consumer interest in skiing. This trend has significantly boosted the sales of skiing apparel on e-commerce platforms. According to Moojing's analysis, online sales of skiing-related products on major Chinese e-commerce platforms reached 16 billion CNY from September to December 2023.
In addition to popular attractions like the Ice and Snow World, Harbin's distinctive cuisine has also gained widespread attention. Culinary delights such as red sausages and frozen pears have experienced a continuous rise in popularity. Specifically, the sales revenue of frozen pears on mainstream Chinese e-commerce platforms from September to December 2023 reached 28.956 million CNY, marking a year-on-year growth of 56.6%.
Summary#
With the current surge in tourism, trending online topics can attract visitors and bring substantial profits to localities. Harbin, an unexpected success story among tourist cities, has boosted both the ice and snow tourism and culinary markets. It is anticipated that more hidden gems like Harbin will emerge on the tourism scene in the future.
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