Zhen Hao:Founder of Easy Tour Worldwide and President of the Travel Business Group at Toread,Team Leader of the third phase, second team of Heima Lianying; recently a guest in the salon of Rui’s Living Room, focusing on the topic “A Preliminary Exploration of Cross-Industry Integration between Outdoor and Travel.” We’ve selected ten questions and look forward to his answers.
NO1:
Teacher Zhen Hao, in many of your interviews, you’ve been described as a serial entrepreneur. Your entrepreneurial journey has paralleled the development and transformation of China’s travel industry—from traditional to innovative, from a rush of participants to survival of the fittest. So could you tell us, from 2000 to 2016, how many stages our travel industry roughly went through? Which stage are we in now, and what might it look like five years from now?
NO2:
Teacher Zhen Hao, the theme of today’s discussion is that the activities organized by many clubs are becoming increasingly blurred with travel. From your experience, what are the advantages and disadvantages of outdoor clubs encroaching on the travel industry? And for those disadvantages, how should they be improved or overcome?
NO3:
Teacher Zhen Hao, following up on the previous question, with your keen industry insight, how can outdoor and travel achieve cross-industry integration? What are some methods? What are the specific approaches and steps that the Travel Business Group at Toread is taking to integrate and develop travel and outdoor businesses?
NO4:
Teacher Zhen Hao, you have extensive experience in planning travel products. I remember there was a widely known case called “Baxian Villa,” which was your work around 2000. What other products have you created since then, and which one are you most satisfied with? From your experience, what aspects should be considered when planning travel products, and which are often overlooked? Why do you think so?
NO5:
Teacher Zhen Hao, in the travel industry, how do you view the relationship between the internet and offline channels? Aside from flights, hotels, and activity postings, what else can the internet do for offline services? For seasoned offline event organizers or those with strong capabilities, how can they better leverage the internet?
NO6:
Teacher Zhen Hao, continuing from the previous question, let’s talk about Easy Tour Worldwide. According to Baidu Baike, it’s introduced as a professional operator of retail travel agency channels and e-commerce. But what exactly does Easy Tour Worldwide do? I see it completed its Series A funding in 2009 and successfully partnered with Toread last year. So what do you think are the advantages of Easy Tour Worldwide?
NO7:
Teacher Zhen Hao, next let’s discuss the Dream Lab. You are the managing partner of the Dream Lab Fund under Toread Holding Group. Could you tell us what Toread’s Dream Lab is? Where is it located in Beijing? Can it be visited? Also, what are the requirements for joining the Dream Lab? What benefits do startups receive after joining? Which companies are currently housed there?
NO8:
Teacher Zhen Hao, this is a case, but it’s a common phenomenon in the outdoor industry. An outdoor club that has been operating for five years now has revenue hovering around one million yuan, with slow growth. Profits mainly come from long-distance trips, while short-distance trips are held weekly just to attract crowds—it’s quite a struggle. If the goal is to grow the club, as someone who knows both travel and the outdoor industry well, what advice would you give? What are the problems with such clubs? What are their paths forward? How should they transform?
NO9:
Teacher Zhen Hao, today’s theme is “A Preliminary Exploration of Cross-Industry Integration between Outdoor and Travel.” Does this kind of cross-industry integration contradict the commonly mentioned spirit of “never forget why you started, and you can accomplish your mission”? From your own journey—from traditional travel to crossing over into the internet, and now into the outdoor industry—what’s your understanding of these two phrases?
NO10:
Teacher Zhen Hao, could you recommend a few books that you think would be helpful for us practitioners here?