B2B travel distribution company DidaTravel has a new concise brand identity, now simply called ‘Dida’. The change is in response to the feedback of its suppliers and clients. The decision to simplify the name to Dida marks its next chapter, with plans to better harness big data, machine learning and generative AI. Rikin Wu, Founder and CEO said: “Our new identity is more than just a change of logo or branding.Our partners have consistently praised our tech-driven solutions and the adaptability of our teams.” “The new Dida brand embodies these strengths and reinforces our commitment to delivering smarter, more flexible solutions.” Dida’s rebranding comes at a time of rapid growth with evolving consumer demands and tech advancements, Dida says. Dida was founded over a decade ago and is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, It has over 750 employees in eight offices globally. It works with over 35,000 travel buying clients around the world, including travel agencies, tour operators, wholesalers, OTAs, TMCs and airlines.

Global travel distribution platform DidaTravel unveiled traveller trends for the upcoming 2025 Chinese New Year period.  The welcoming of the Year of the Snake spans an eight - day holiday from Tuesday, January 28, to Tuesday, February 4. According to DidaTravel's booking data, total outbound hotel bookings during the Chinese New Year showed a 48% increase compared to 2024. For outbound mainland Chinese travellers, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE, Hong Kong SAR and the US, were the top destinations. Japan outbound hotel bookings by Chinese travellers have tripled, and US bookings more than doubled from a year ago.  Short-haul Asian destinations including Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea remin popular. Norway featured for the first rime in the top 20 destinations list for CNY. The average daily rate (ADR) for hotels globally increased by nearly 10% However, the share of five-star hotel bookings decreased from 32.2% to 26.5%, while bookings for three to four-star hotels saw a notable rise. The average length of stay for Chinese travellers per hotel remained steady at three days, which is the same as last year. Travellers also showed a trend of planning and booking earlier than last year, increasing from 45 to 54 days. Snow Xiao, Head of Hotel Direct Contracting at DidaTravel said: “We are thrilled to witness the emergence of new popular destinations for Chinese travellers and their growing willingness to venture to longer-haul destinations.” "We are also encouraged by the robust growth in inbound travel to China. The extended advance booking window demonstrates that travellers are embracing early planning.” Inbound travel bookings to the Chinese mainland achieved double digit growth, with top bookings made by travellers from South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, the US, Australia, Germany and the UK.

Asia based global travel distribution company DidaTravel notched record 2024 sales from the UK outbound market. It more than doubled the volume of business compared to 2023 A leader in China and Asia Pacific source markets and destinations, Dida embarked on a global expansion strategy starting in 2018. There was a particular focus on European markets and the results since have been exceptional, it says. Sales for 2024 have significantly outperformed the same period 2023, where the company averaged 100% growth across the main markets. The UK outbound market has been a key strategic focus Dida’s global hotel portfolio of more than 75,000 directly contracted properties are available on the majority of travel platforms popular in the UK. The company says it has kicked off 2025 strongly and has a clear strategy to maintain the current growth trajectory in the UK market. The top five destinations booked through Dida’s platform in 2024 by UK travellers were Dubai, New York, Phuket, Paris and Tokyo. Paul Riches, UK Sales Director for DidaTravel said “We’ve invested significantly more resources in tech, product and customer care to support the UK trade, particularly over the last 18 months.” “We are now reaping the benefits. Most UK agents can fully benefit from Dida’s reach.” The DidaTravel hotel portfolio features over one million properties globally with more than 75,000 direct contracts.

  James Jin, CTO of Didatravel, discusses the company’s rapid growth from its beginnings in China to its expanding presence in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US. Founded in 2012, Didatravel initially focused on the Chinese market before branching out internationally in 2017. Leveraging cloud-native technology and expertise from Expedia, the company has scaled quickly. Jin also addresses the role of AI in travel, emphasizing its potential for enhancing customer service and operational efficiency. Despite challenges from the pandemic, Jin is optimistic about the long-term recovery of Chinese outbound tourism, anticipating future growth.  

 

• DidaTravel, the global B2B travel distributor, announces rapid outbound growth rates across its European source markets, with significant year-over-year growth exceeding +100% from the UK, Irish, German, Spanish and French markets.
• In the past 12 months, Japan, Thailand, UAE and USA have been among Dida’s most demanded destinations from these source markets.
• In terms of European destinations, Dida’s inbound bookings from source markets worldwide have similarly grown at a very fast rate, with the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain also all registering +100% growth in inbound roomnight production.
• In a further signal that the Chinese market is recovering strongly post-pandemic, Dida registered +203% year-over-year growth in Chinese inbound visitors to Europe with the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy among the most popular destinations.

    DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel distribution company, continues to expand its footprint across Europe, announcing remarkable growth rates of +100% from both an inbound and outbound perspective.   A leader in China and Asia Pacific source markets and destinations, Dida embarked on its global expansion strategy in 2018, and the results since then have been exceptional with year-to-date, 2024 sales significantly outperforming the same period 2023. This growth highlights Europe's increasing significance in the companies’ business which now represents over 22% of its total revenue. The top five best performing European outbound source markets for the company include the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and France.  

• United Kingdom: The UK represents a major source market for DidaTravel and in the past 12 months, this market has registered +113% growth compared to the same period a year previous. The top five destinations for the UK market, have been the USA, Japan, Thailand, Italy and UAE.

 

• Ireland: The Irish market has also witnessed a steady upward trajectory within DidaTravel's portfolio. YTD the growth rate in Total Transaction Value (TTV) hit +107%. The top five destinations for Irish travellers, included USA, Italy, UK, Indonesia and Thailand.

 

• Germany: Germany is another source market where Dida is making great strides. Its YTD 2024 sales growth hit an impressive +261% growth, in part driven by the high demand for the Euro 2024 tournament back in July. The top five destinations for the German market, are Thailand, USA, Japan, Spain and UAE.

 

• Spain: Sales to the Spanish source market have jumped by an impressive +162% in the past year. The top five destinations for Spanish travellers have been Japan, USA, Indonesia, Italy and France.

 

• France: The French source market continues to go from strength to strength for Dida, with a growth rate of +239% year-to-date. The USA, Italy, Japan, Thailand and the UK were the top destinations booked on Dida’s platform by French visitors.

  Commenting on Dida’s continued success in expanding its European business, Frank Wöller, VP of Business Development, EMEA, said “We are really excited to see Dida’s continued fast growth across European source markets and destinations. This is testament to Dida’s investment in establishing a local, on the ground presence of experienced travel trade professionals, a differentiated product portfolio of over 75,000 directly contracted hotels worldwide, class leading technology and a continual focus on providing high quality customer care”.   DidaTravel is thrilled to showcase this outstanding growth at WTM, underscoring its commitment to be a leading B2B travel distributor across Europe and worldwide. The company's dedication to leading technology, global expansion and customer satisfaction continues to drive its success.   Meet DidaTravel at WTM London, stand 328, Hall S3, from 5th-7th November,  ExCeL,London.

 

• China’s outbound travel continues its rapid recovery. Hotel bookings surged across various regions compared to last year: up by 190% in the Americas, 78% in Europe, 77% in Asia-Pacific, and 106% in the Middle East.
• Japan becomes the number one international destination for Chinese travellers, followed by Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and Indonesia in order of popularity.
• As the No.1 B2B accommodation wholesaler in China, DidaTravel’s booking data acts a reliable proxy to the wider trends in the Chinese travel industry.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel distribution company – has shared key hotel booking trends from China’s Golden Week holiday period.   China’s outbound travel continues its rapid recovery, with hotel bookings for trips abroad showing impressive growth. According to DidaTravel’s latest data, during the Golden Week holiday, when many Chinese travelers take a seven-day break from October 1 to October 7, hotel bookings surged across various regions compared to last year: up by 190% in the Americas, 78% in Europe, 77% in Asia-Pacific, and 106% in the Middle East.   The average hotel stay duration for international travelers remained stable at around two nights, consistent with pre-pandemic trends. While Average Daily Rates (ADR) showed a slight increase in the Middle East, they were marginally lower in other regions compared to last year.   As of October 8, the top 20 most popular international destinations for Chinese travelers during the Golden Week holiday were Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, the United States, Italy, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Turkey, Iceland, the Philippines, and New Zealand.   Among international cities, the most booked destinations were Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Pattaya, Kyoto, Kota Kinabalu, Jeju, Karon, Dubai, Paris, Patong, Phuket, Abu Dhabi, Chiang Mai, Rome, Milan, and London. For domestic travel, top destinations included Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Macau. These destinations provide a wide variety of experiences, ranging from breathtaking natural lanscapes to vibrant cultural heritage, world-class events, gourmet dining, and exceptional shopping.   Stone Fan, President of DidaTravel, commented, "The evolving preferences of Chinese travelers signal a new era for the global travel industry. At DidaTravel, we not only prepared for the resurgence of outbound tourism but are also helping to shape it. By leveraging our insights and technology, our commitment remains steadfast in redefining how the world connects with Chinese travelers, creating seamless, enriching journeys that reflect their growing desire for exploration and discovery."   *All data in this release is based on DidaTravel’s accommodation booking data for the 2024 Chinese Golden Week holiday period, a peak travel season when most Chinese people enjoy an average of seven days off.

 

• In the first half of 2024, hotel bookings from Chinese travellers to Thailand and Malaysia experienced remarkable triple-digit year-over-year growth.
• Thailand saw a very substantial increase of 340% compared to the previous year, while Malaysia witnessed a surge of 780%.
• DidaTravel hosted a series of B2B roadshows and networking events in Beijing on September 3 and Shanghai on September 5, aimed at building a bridge between travel agents and hoteliers to seize new opportunities.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel wholesaler – has revealed substantial growth in booking demand for Thailand and Malaysia, fueled by a surge from the Chinese source market. In the first half of 2024, hotel bookings from Chinese travellers visiting Thailand rose by an impressive 340% compared to the same period the previous year. Likewise, hotel bookings from Chinese source market travellers visiting Malaysia surged by 780% during the first six months 2024. These numbers underscore the rising interest and confidence among Chinese travellers in these Southeast Asian destinations.   In Thailand, Chinese visitors are showing a strong preference for popular destinations such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Karon, Patong, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Koh Samui, Bang Phli, and Hat Yai. In Malaysia, the most sought-after destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Johor Bahru, Semporna, Langkawi, Malacca, Petaling Jaya, Sepang, and Ipoh.   In response to this significant demand, DidaTravel hosted a series of B2B business matchmaking and networking events in Beijing on September 3 and Shanghai on September 5. These events brought together major Chinese travel agencies experiencing outbound travel demand with hotel representatives from Thailand and Malaysia. The goal was to strengthen DidaTravel's role as a bridge between Chinese travel agencies and Southeast Asian hotel partners, actively addressing the rapid growth of China's outbound travel market and further enhancing the influence of international hotel brands in the Chinese source market.   Snow Xiao, Senior Director - Hotel Direct Contracting, Global at DidaTravel, commented: "The surge in bookings to Thailand and Malaysia highlights the growing enthusiasm of Chinese source market travellers in these destinations. We are dedicated to equipping our partners with the resources they need to harness this demand. Our events in Beijing and Shanghai reflected our commitment to fostering strong, lasting relationships between travel agencies and hoteliers. By enabling direct communication and collaboration, we aim to help our partners deliver exceptional, customised experiences that meet the evolving needs of today's travellers."

 

- “Many Western hoteliers are completely unaware of the Golden Week period – they have just heard of Chinese New Year it seems – but this is a significant travel period which many Chinese people use to travel abroad,” said DidaTravel’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nicky Ussamarn.

  - Driven by favorable visa policies, increased flights, and interest in global destinations, Chinese outbound travel has rebounded.   - DidaTravel advises Western hoteliers to showcase high-quality room photos and detailed descriptions, accept Chinese payment methods, offer visa services, focus on B2B retail sales, and target young, wealthy Chinese travellers, among other things.   As we approach the longest holiday season in China, DidaTravel – China’s largest outbound wholesaler of accommodation and flights – is helping hotelier partners around the world to prepare by highlighting the Golden Week (also known as National Day) festival in October.   The company is firstly drawing attention to the fact that the national holiday calendar this year is different from last year's, which saw a combined Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week period to create one of the longest ever holiday periods suitable for extended travels.   Instead this year the Mid-Autumn Festival runs from Sunday, September 15th, to Tuesday, September 17th, making a short holiday period that creates a long weekend, meaning Chinese travellers are likely choose short domestic getaways to visit family.   However, 'Golden Week', will occur from October 1st to October 7th, 2024, making this seven-day holiday one of the busiest travel periods in China, as tens of millions of people make the most of the break to go on vacation and take advantage of long-haul trips.   Typically in China travellers tend to book hotels and flights within a week for domestic travel and 2-4 weeks in advance for long-haul trips. Hence, in order to attract Chinese travellers for international travel during the Golden Week, it’s essential for Asia Pacific, Middle Eastern and Western hoteliers to prepare now.   This year, moreover, China’s outbound travel has bounced back, driven by more favourable visa policies, increased airline capacity, and a growing interest in diverse global destinations. As the demand for international travel rises, Dida Travel advises Western hoteliers to take the following steps to cater to Chinese travellers’ preferences during the Golden Week:  

1. Showcase Room Photos: Use high-quality images to attract potential guests.
2. Detailed Room Descriptions: Clearly state room sizes in square metres.
3. Room Amenities: Ensure each room has a kettle and tea, and clearly state this on the website.
4. Payment Methods: Accept Chinese payment methods such as WeChat Pay and Alipay.
5. Social Media Presence: Open WeChat and other relevant social media accounts for customer service.
6. Visa Services: Provide visa arrangements for Chinese travellers where available.
7. B2B Retail Sales: Focus on B2B retail sales, not just B2C channels.
8. Last-Minute Bookings: Be prepared for last-minute bookings, as Chinese travellers often make spontaneous travel decisions.
9. Targeting Young Travellers: Market to younger travellers, as China has a higher percentage of wealthy Millennials and Gen Z compared to Europe and the Americas.

  “Many non-Chinese hoteliers are completely unaware of the Golden Week period – they have just heard of Chinese New Year it seems – but this is a significant travel period which Chinese people use to travel abroad and as such these hoteliers could be missing out,” said Nicky Ussamarn, DidaTravel’s Chief Commercial Officer “Understanding what Chinese travellers want is crucial for Western hoteliers to tailor offerings and experiences that match these changing preferences. Our insights and recommendations are designed to help hoteliers align their services with the specific needs and expectations of Chinese tourists, ensuring a more enjoyable and satisfactory experience for this fast growing market segment.   “Simply having a Chinese language website or even employees on your property is just not enough. We want to remind hoteliers looking to attract Chinese travellers for the Golden Week festival period that there is still time to adapt – even if this is the first they hear of the festival – as travellers plan their long-haul trips only two to four weeks in advance!” Writen by Charles Kao, TravelMole

Germany hotels have reaped the benefits of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament. Tech-driven global travel wholesaler DidaTravel has crunched the hotel booking numbers, highlighting how the tournament has significantly boosted local economic impact. Based on DidaTravel bookings, Gelsenkirchen has experienced a huge 786% increase in year-on-year bookings. Other cities experiencing a significant uptick include Leipzig (570%), Dortmund (329%), Munich (124%), and Frankfurt (62%). Cities such as Cologne, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Berlin and Hamburg have also benefited from this surge. Overall, the average daily rate (ADR) for Germany hotels based on DidaTravel’s bookings  increased by more than one-third during the tournament compared to last year. DidaTravel booking data revealed that the average length of stay remains consistent with last year, averaging about two days per destination. There has however been a notable shift in the average booking window, which increased from 17 days in advance to 28 days. Gareth Matthews, CMO of DidaTravel said: "Smaller cities such as Gelsenkirchen, a destination not used to such high demand have much to celebrate.” For travel sellers around the world this underscores the importance of working with a B2B accommodation partner who can source hotels in secondary and tertiary destinations.” All data was based on bookings made through DidaTravel's platform and distribution channels. 

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• Year-to-date USA destination hotel sales (TTV*) from source markets worldwide have grown by +205% compared to the previous 12 months.
• The top 5 source markets booking the USA on Dida’s platform are China (+277%), Brazil (+229%), UK (+110%), Italy (+125%) and South Korea (+310%).
• The top 5 most popular US destinations include New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
• DidaTravel has a portfoilo of 10,000 directly contracted hotels in the US (+60% growth year-on-year), with a healthy average ADR** growth of +21%.
• This announcement comes just ahead of the IPW show in Los Angeles, where DidaTravel’s America’s team will be exhibiting.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel wholesaler – today announced impressive year-to-date sales growth to USA destinations.   For DidaTravel - the leading wholesaler in China and APAC - global expansion, and the USA in particular, have been a key strategic focus over the past few years and the year-to-date TTV* growth of +205% inbound to the US, outstripping the wider market, is testament to the success of this strategy.   This inbound US growth has been generated from Dida’s global client portfolio that features more than 35,000 travel trade clients, including tour operators, travel agents and airlines, distributing to the 125 source markets in which DidaTravel is active. The current top five markets driving the fastest growth into the US, via Dida’s platform include China (+277%), Brazil (+229%), UK (+110%), Italy (+125%) and South Korea (+310%).   The most popular US cities booked on Dida’s platform include New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The company has expanded rapidly across all key US destinations, with a +60% year-on-year increase in the size of Dida’s directly contracted US portfolio, which now stands at 10,000 properties and continues to grow, many of them contracted under unique or differentiated conditions.   Average, year-on-year ADR increases in the US of +21% complete the positive picture for DidaTravel’s hotel partners.   Suman Khan – Director of International Chains commented "As one of the most visited countries in the world, offering such iconic destinations, the US is clearly of key strategic importance to a global travel wholesaler like DidaTravel. We are therefore delighted that we continue to go from strength to strength and register such rapid sales growth across US destinations.   For our hotel partners, Dida’s global B2B reach and distribution capability, fully aligned and complementary to their direct marketing strategies, helps them to effectively meet their occupancy targets while attracting high value guests from hard-to-reach markets.   We are very grateful to all our partners for their continued confidence in Dida and we look forward to meeting many of them at the upcoming IPW show".   DidaTravel will be exhibiting at IPW in Los Angeles, booth 751, May 3rd – 7th   *TTV = Total Transaction Value **ADR = Average Daily Rate All data is based on bookings made via DidaTravel’s platform and distribution channels and compares the full year performance up to 15^th April 2024, versus the prior 12 months.

 

• Year-to-date outbound TTV* sales from across the GCC source markets have grown by an average of +104% compared to the 12 months previous.
• The fastest growing source markets were Saudi Arabia (+202%), Qatar (+199%), Kuwait (+157%) and Bahrain (+104%).
• Top international destinations booked by GCC travellers included the UK, Turkey, Thailand, USA, Indonesia and Malaysia.
• From an inbound perspective, the top international source markets booking to the GCC region on Dida’s platform included China, India, UK and USA, with strong average ADR** growth of +31% being recorded across the region.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel wholesaler – today announced, strong year-to-date sales growth from across GCC source markets and destinations ahead of the ATM show.   For DidaTravel, the leading B2B travel wholesaler in China and APAC, the GCC region has been of increasing strategic focus over the past few years and the year-to-date growth is testament to the success of this strategy with an average outbound sales increase of +104% from GCC source markets.   The fastest growing GCC markets were Saudi Arabia (+202%), Qatar (+199%), Kuwait (+157%) and Bahrain (+104%), while the most popular destination countries were the UK, USA, Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.   From an inbound perspective, the most popular GCC destinations continue to be Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyad, Doha and Jeddah. Year-to-date average daily rates (ADRs), for GCC destinations booked through DidaTravel’s platform and distribution channels have grown by a very positive average of +31%.   In addition, DidaTravel’s flight distribution business has been growing very fast across the GCC region with average regional outbound sales growth of +556% year-to-date.   Jinyan Li - VP of Global Account Management at DidaTravel commented "For DidaTravel, the GCC region is of paramount strategic importance from both a source market and destination perspective, so it is great to see such positive results over the past 12 months after all the hard work of both our sourcing and distribution teams.   We are grateful to all our hotel and distribution partners in the region for their continued confidence in Dida and we look forward to meeting everyone at the upcoming ATM show".

Travel distributor DidaTravel has inked a deal with Visit Oman to help boost inbound tourist arrivals to the Gulf state. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed at ITB Berlin. The partnership outlines areas of collaboration which include DidaTravel offering Visit Oman's contracted hotels, transfers, and experiences to China based travel partners via API integration. It will give Visit Oman access to DidaTravel's portfolio of Chinese travel trade customers. They will embark on joint marketing initiatives to increase brand awareness and drive travel demand from China to Oman. Jinyan Li, VP Global Account Management at DidaTravel said "This collaboration holds immense potential to foster cultural exchange and strengthen ties between our nations". DidaTravel works with over 30,000 travel buying clients around the world, including travel agencies, tour operators, wholesalers, OTAs and TMCs.

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