In 2013, a new way of travel accommodation that disrupted traditional hotels—Tujia’s model—was a noteworthy phenomenon in the tourism industry. As winter approached, most cities across the country entered the tourism off-season, except for Hainan. While traditional hotels were at a loss to deal with declining bookings, Tujia’s vacation rental apartments remained popular, with an average occupancy rate 15% higher than that of star-rated hotels. How does Tujia manage to avoid a slow season?
Actually, the answer is quite simple: "There are no off-season markets, only off-season mindsets." Speaking with Tujia’s hotel management team reveals that it’s Tujia’s marketing strategy of "creating demand" that keeps the off-season lively. Further analysis can be summed up as: on one hand, "the market is man-made," and on the other, it's the inherent advantages of Tujia’s model.
The "Experience Room Plan" launches just in time—not just to capture the National Day holiday
Focus on volume in peak season, focus on momentum in the off-season. The National Day Golden Week is a must-compete period for all tourism businesses. Tujia’s "Experience Room" plan was launched just before the long holiday. On September 12, Tujia.com introduced experience rooms, promising "spend what you get back." Tujia’s "not raising but lowering" prices were undeniably irresistible to consumers. Meanwhile, with the implementation of the Tourism Law, market prices were soaring, but vacation rentals based on independent travel were already popular due to their high cost-performance. After Tujia.com launched such a consumer-friendly "Experience Room" policy, it’s no surprise that Tujia vacation rentals saw a boom in bookings during the National Day Golden Week.
Unlike the "discount promotions" during holidays, Tujia CEO Luo Jun emphasized: "This is not a promotional event, but a business model Tujia will adhere to long-term." The Tujia "Experience Room" plan, released just before the National Day Golden Week, not only led to a surge in bookings during the holiday but also continued to deliver marketing value in the fourth quarter, earning widespread praise from consumers.
Striking again, the Smart Stay Apartment anticipates the future
After the National Day Golden Week, the traditional tourism off-season begins, and the traditional hotel industry has "laid down its arms," preparing for the next peak season. But Tujia’s "Smart Stay Card" once again became a hot topic on the internet and WeChat Moments. For just 2,688 yuan, the Tujia "Smart Stay Card" allows 30 days of stay, even prompting many office workers to think about their neglected annual leave.
Tujia’s "Smart Stay Apartments" are designed to meet the needs of medium- to short-term vacation stays for leisure, wellness, and nearby travel. The apartment listings are mainly concentrated around tourist destinations and scenic spots, offering ultra-high cost-performance, high-quality hardware and software, and distinctive value-added services, providing travelers with a new accommodation experience and promoting a self-guided, leisurely deep travel style.
Some netizens also commented: "Although the cost-performance is extremely high, it’s hard for ordinary office workers to have 30 days of vacation time in a year." But when they saw discussions among friends about "showing parents some care by taking them out to travel" or "heartwarming team-building trips"... the questioning netizen suddenly had an epiphany, "Why didn’t I think of that?" In fact, rather than saying Tujia’s "Smart Stay Card" is creating demand, it’s more accurate to say it’s awakening consumer demand and helping them fulfill their "filial piety."
According to Tujia staff, within hours of the Smart Stay Card going live on Tmall’s flagship store, dozens of orders were placed. They also tried WeChat marketing, and through group sharing and recommendations, the initial attempt at WeChat marketing brought a pleasant surprise. In one WeChat group of 128 people, the majority directly booked the 2,688-yuan Smart Stay Card, with the highest order being for five cards. On the first day of pre-sales, 200–300 Smart Stay Cards were sold.
Currently, Tujia Smart Stay Apartments have started accepting bookings, with a batch of users preemptively booking apartments in Bo’ao and Wanning, Hainan, for the Spring Festival. Through the Smart Stay Apartment product, Tujia not only activates its idle properties but truly taps into the demand of essential customers—that’s the secret weapon behind Tujia’s non-slow off-season.
Independent travelers become the mainstream, vacation rentals are the growing trend
Statistics show that China’s tourism market has been growing rapidly every year in recent years, with the number of independent travelers increasing the most, growing by 30% annually. After the implementation of the Tourism Law, the growth of the independent travel market has accelerated even further. In addition, a survey by the China Tourism Academy found that tourists are shifting from viewing "scenery" to valuing "experiences." Compared to traditional hotels, Tujia’s vacation rentals offer a "home-like" lifestyle where you can wash clothes and cook, which helps tourists better integrate into and experience local life, making them more suitable for independent travel. The spacious space, high cost-performance, and greater privacy are also unmatched by regular hotels. Tujia’s vacation rentals truly fill the "gap" in personalized market demand, hence gaining popularity among more and more tourists and business travelers on medium- to long-term business trips.
Tips:
Tujia website: www.tujia.com
Customer service hotline: 400-188-1234