China is the world’s largest outbound tourism market. 

In 2023 alone, Chinese expenditure on travel abroad reached US$196.5 billion in 2023—a number expected to grow as travel continues to increase. Despite this, many hotels are leaving bookings (and revenue) on the table because their websites don’t perform well for Chinese users. Slow load times, broken functionality, and poor visibility on local search engines like Baidu can push potential guests toward third-party platforms or competitors.

So, how can your hotel stand out and attract more Chinese guests directly through your website? Let’s explore why this matters and how to make it happen.

TL;DR: Slow websites and poor optimization keep Chinese travelers from booking directly with hotels. By tackling performance issues with tools like Chinafy and boosting visibility on Baidu, you can create a seamless experience that drives bookings and builds loyalty.

Why attract Chinese travelers to your hotel in 2025 and beyond?

Chinese travelers are reshaping global tourism. Pre-pandemic, they spent US$255 billion annually on international travel, accounting for almost a fifth of global tourism spending. By 2028, a predicted 200 million Chinese are expected to travel outside of the country.

For hotels, capturing this market means securing high-value guests who often travel in groups, stay longer, and spend more.

But when your website doesn’t load quickly or work as expected in China, it can lead to:

Lost bookings: Potential guests will likely abandon your site if it takes more than a few seconds to load, which many global websites do in China.

Third-party dependency: If your site fails, Chinese travelers may turn to platforms like Ctrip or Fliggy, which charge commissions of 15-20% per booking, eating into your margins or losing you revenue altogether if they choose from one of the many competitors available.

Lower ranking on Baidu: Baidu’s Lightning Algorithm rewards mobile web pages that load visually within two seconds on mobile devices, meaning Baidu won’t rank sites as highly if they take over three seconds.

Brand damage: A glitchy or slow website signals unreliability, potentially turning guests toward competitors with smoother digital experiences.

Why your website might be failing in China

Even top-tier global hotel brands struggle to deliver satisfactory website performance in China. So, what’s going wrong?

Blocked or slow-performant third-party resources:

Most global hotel websites rely on third-party services for basic functionality on their website, as well as to enhance their user experience. Unfortunately, many of these resources are slow or blocked in China. When a user in China tries to access a website that includes these elements, the resources can delay or stop the page from loading, or the resource itself is unusable, impacting the user experience.

Common examples of third-party resources on hotel sites include:

Google Maps or CMS plugins like WP Go Maps to embed interactive maps showing hotel locations.

YouTube or Vimeo embeds for promotional videos.

Booking engine integrations like TripAdvisor widgets to showcase reviews.

Live Chat services such as Intercom or Zendesk.

Advertising networks such as DoubleClick or AdRoll.

Google Analytics to monitor web traffic

Global CDN reach:

Even top tier “Global” Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) that hotels use to ensure quick access for global travelers often don’t perform well in China. This could be because they lack Points of Presence (PoPs) within the region. Or, even if they have PoPs in China - they are not included in coverage for these hotel sites - as certain prerequisites need to be met to use them.

This leads to higher latency and packet loss even on the simplest of website components (e.g. images) i) because the browser has to retrieve files from servers further located outside of China when a user accesses the website ii) due to China’s unique internet framework- resulting in a poor browsing experience.

These performance issues are not unique to hotels but are often overlooked, leading to missed opportunities.

5 steps to optimize your hotel website for Chinese guests

Hotel businesses can overcome website performance challenges in most cases and optimize their site in other ways, too, to attract Chinese guests to their locations.

Test your site’s performance in China:

Start by seeing how your website fares. Tools like Chinafy’s Visual Speed Test give you a side-by-side look at load times in China versus elsewhere.

Use a China-compatible CDN:

Use CDNs with PoPs in* or near China, like Tencent Cloud or Akamai, to cache static content (images, scripts) closer to users.

Adding a CDN can reduce latency, but won’t resolve code or file-based issues due to blocked or slow-performing third-party resources on your website. Without addressing those third party resources, your site may still load slowly or fail to load altogether. These hundreds of resources - similar to Google APIs, Vimeo, and more - require separate handling.

*Note: Using a CDN with PoPs inside Mainland China requires meeting specific prerequisites, including obtaining an ICP filing or license and establishing a local entity or partnering with a local provider.

Chinafy your site:

Whether your hotel site is hosted offshore or onshore, Chinafy can be bolted onto your existing technical stack to achieve faster loading times, and more functional website experience.

Chinafy tackle both infrastructure and code issues:

Generates a version of your website for China visitors without affecting your current site.

Detects and handles blocked or slow-performant resources (e.g., replacing Google Maps for Baidu Maps for the Chinafy version).

Adds a China-friendly CDN without changing your hosting.

Keeps your China-optimized site synced with your global one.

Boost Baidu visibility:

In China, Baidu reigns as the top search engine, with over 600 million monthly users.

Besides contributing to key indicators for Search Engine Page Rankings (SERP) by improving speed and functionality, Chinafy also auto-pushes URLs to Baidu for improved indexing. Chinafy’s ecosystem of agency partners can then build off that foundation for more SEM/SEO opportunities.

Chinafy aside, to rank well -

Localize content: Translate key pages (rooms, booking forms) into Simplified Chinese. Baidu prioritizes this, and guests appreciate it.

Speed matters: Baidu’s Lightning Algorithm favors mobile pages loading in under 2 seconds, impacting the rank of anything over 3. Test your speed with Chinafy’s Global Speed Test.

Use Baidu Webmaster tools: Submit sitemaps and monitor performance to ensure Baidu indexes your site.

Read our Baidu SEO guide for Hospitality Businesses

Localize your site for Chinese users:

Simplified Chinese language

Translate the website into Simplified Chinese. Avoid machine translations—hire native speakers to ensure accuracy and cultural nuance.

Mobile-first design

As of 2024, 99.7% of Chinese internet users access the web via mobile phones. Ensure the site is responsive, fast-loading (under 3 seconds), and easy to navigate on mobile.

Integrate Chinese payment options

Add WeChat Pay and Alipay as checkout options. As of 2023, WeChat Pay has 1.1 billion active users. UnionPay cards should also be supported.

You can also include a currency toggle with prices in Chinese Yuan (CNY) alongside local currency to reduce friction.

Leverage WeChat and local platforms

Embed a WeChat mini-program link or QR code on the site. Mini-programs are lightweight apps within WeChat, popular for booking travel.

Include icons linking to profiles on Chinese platforms like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) or Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese version), where travelers seek recommendations.

Cater to cultural priorities and preferences

According to Kuok Hui Kwong, chair of Shangri-La, “a lot of Chinese luxury travelers are looking for immersive experiences that connect with Chinese culture. They have strong preferences for Chinese food. They’re very concerned about safety and hygiene.”

Post-pandemic, Chinese travelers remain cautious. Highlight sanitation protocols, air filtration, and health certifications with clear visuals or icons.

Personalized booking features

Offer real-time chat support via WeChat or a Mandarin-speaking hotline. Many Chinese travelers prefer human interaction over FAQs.

Promotions tied to Chinese holidays

Tailor deals to major holidays like Chinese New Year (late January/early February), Golden Week (October 1-7), or Mid-Autumn Festival. For 2026, Chinese New Year starts 17th February.

With Chinese travelers poised to drive global tourism in 2025 and beyond, your hotel can’t afford to stay invisible in China. A fast, accessible website is a competitive edge against global competitors. By tackling performance hurdles and boosting Baidu visibility, you can attract more direct bookings and build trust with a market that values efficiency and reliability.

Ready to welcome Chinese guests? Start with a Chinafy speed test and see how your site stacks up.