Douyin Triggers Summer Hotel Price War as it Takes on Travel Platforms
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A hotel room in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sept. 13, 2023. Photo: Bloomberg
TikTok’s Chinese counterpart, Douyin, is diving headfirst into China’s online travel market this summer, rolling out aggressive hotel discounts and billion-yuan subsidies in a bold attempt to wrest market share from established travel platforms.
In a campaign launched this month, Douyin’s Life Services division is offering users steep hotel discounts — including up to 40% off standard rates — along with exclusive deals for new customers and versatile voucher packages promoted through livestreams and group-buying events. Participating hotel businesses include H World Group Ltd., Hyatt Hotels Corp., Jin Jiang International (Holdings) Co. Ltd., Atour Hotel Group and the luxury Nuo Hotel Beijing.
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- Douyin is aggressively expanding into China’s online travel market with hotel discounts up to 40% and billion-yuan subsidies, challenging dominant OTAs like Ctrip and Meituan.
- Douyin launched real-time booking features, but industry insiders note its market share is still small; Ctrip, Qunar, and Tongcheng together control over 60% of the market.
- Competition intensifies as JD.com and Alibaba’s Fliggy expand travel offerings, while Meituan maintains strength in the lower-star hotel segment.
AI generated, for reference only
Who’s Who
- Douyin
- Douyin, TikTok's Chinese counterpart, is aggressively entering China's online travel market. It's offering significant hotel discounts and large subsidies to compete with established platforms like Ctrip and Meituan. Douyin has upgraded its booking features to allow for specific date bookings and aims to gain market share despite skepticism from industry insiders.
- H World Group Ltd.
- H World Group Ltd. is a hotel business participating in Douyin's aggressive hotel discount campaign. They are offering users steep hotel discounts, up to 40% off standard rates, as Douyin attempts to gain market share in China's online travel market.
- Hyatt Hotels Corp.
- Hyatt Hotels Corp. is participating in Douyin's aggressive hotel discount campaign in China's online travel market. This initiative offers significant discounts, including up to 40% off standard rates, for various hotels. Douyin's push aims to capture market share from established travel platforms.
- Jin Jiang International (Holdings) Co. Ltd.
- Jin Jiang International (Holdings) Co. Ltd. is a hotel business participating in Douyin's aggressive hotel discount campaign this summer. Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, is offering significant discounts and subsidies to gain market share in China's online travel market.
- Atour Hotel Group
- Atour Hotel Group is a participating hotel business in Douyin's latest aggressive push into China's online travel market. Douyin's campaign offers steep hotel discounts and various deals, aiming to gain market share from established travel platforms.
- Nuo Hotel Beijing
- Nuo Hotel Beijing is a luxury hotel participating in Douyin's aggressive hotel discount campaign. Douyin's campaign offers significant discounts, including up to 40% off standard rates, and exclusive deals. This initiative aims to increase Douyin's market share in China's online travel sector.
- Ctrip
- Ctrip, also known as Trip.com Group, is a dominant online travel agency (OTA) in China. It controls over 60% of the market, alongside Qunar and Tongcheng, which are part of its group. Ctrip offers real-time booking, a key advantage over competitors like Douyin, which previously focused on voucher sales.
- Meituan
- Meituan is a significant player in the online travel agency (OTA) market in China, holding approximately 20% market share. It initially entered the hotel sector through group buying in 2012 and remains dominant in the lower-star hotel segment. Meituan is known for integrating hotel stays with its dining services and recently partnered with Marriott International.
- Qunar
- Qunar is a Chinese online travel agency (OTA) that is part of the Trip.com Group. Along with Ctrip and Tongcheng, Qunar controls over 60% of China's OTA market.
- Tongcheng
- Tongcheng, along with Ctrip and Qunar, is a dominant player in China's online travel agency (OTA) market, collectively holding over 60% market share. The article indicates that Tongcheng is part of the Trip.com Group.
- Trip.com Group
- Trip.com Group is a dominant player in China's online travel agency (OTA) market, controlling over 60% of the market share alongside its platforms Ctrip, Qunar, and Tongcheng. They specialize in real-time booking, a competitive advantage over platforms like Douyin that primarily offer voucher sales.
- Alibaba
- Alibaba's Fliggy is a player in China's online travel market. While trailing behind market leaders like Trip.com Group and Meituan, Fliggy is intensifying its competition. Alibaba has integrated Fliggy into its main e-commerce business unit and is offering deals through Taobao's 88VIP voucher scheme and "surprise member packages" with hotel discounts.
- Fliggy
- Fliggy is Alibaba's online travel platform, a trailing competitor in China's OTA market behind Trip.com Group and Meituan. It was recently integrated into Alibaba's main e-commerce business unit and offers promotions like 88VIP voucher schemes and hotel discount bundles.
- JD.com
- JD.com, an e-commerce giant, has recently entered the online travel market. They are attracting merchants with a "zero commission for three years" offer and providing prominent homepage placement for their new travel portal. JD.com is also offering significant subsidies and limited-time airfare deals to compete in this sector.
- Taobao
- Taobao, an e-commerce platform by Alibaba, has integrated Fliggy, its travel service, into its main e-commerce unit. Taobao includes Fliggy in its monthly 88VIP voucher scheme and offers bundled deals, such as "surprise member packages" with hotel discounts up to 500 yuan, to compete in the online travel market.
- Marriott International
- Marriott International partnered with Meituan to launch joint membership perks. This collaboration aims to integrate high-end hotel stays with Meituan's dining services, offering elite benefits through their respective apps.
- Roland Berger
- Roland Berger is a consulting firm. Jiang Yunying, a partner there, predicts an inevitable short-term price war among online travel agencies in China. She emphasizes that long-term success will hinge on supply chain efficiency and ecosystem synergy, rather than just traffic.
- Dazhong Dianping
- Dazhong Dianping, partnered with Meituan, is a major player in China's online travel market. It primarily focuses on the lower-star hotel segment, using its strength in dining to integrate high-end hotel stays. Users can access joint membership perks and elite benefits through its app.
AI generated, for reference only
What Happened When
- Late 2022：
- Douyin launched its Life Services unit, initially focusing on food delivery and local services.
- 2023 onward：
- Post-Covid period where Douyin users complained about poor redemption experiences and lack of real-time booking options.
- May 2025：
- Meituan partnered with Marriott International to launch joint membership perks through Meituan and Dazhong Dianping apps.
- June 2025：
- JD.com entered the travel sector, offering 'zero commission for three years' and billion-yuan subsidies.
- June 2025：
- Alibaba folded Fliggy into its main e-commerce business unit, making Fliggy part of Taobao's 88VIP voucher scheme.
- July 2025：
- Douyin's Life Services division launched a campaign offering steep hotel discounts, exclusive deals, and voucher packages.
AI generated, for reference only
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