What Travel Brands Should Know About China's RedNote

For travel brands eager to tap into the booming Chinese outbound market, RedNote — known domestically as Xiaohongshu — is rapidly becoming the indispensable platform for travel inspiration and authentic user-generated reviews. The social media app is reshaping how travelers plan their journeys and discover new destinations.

RedNote is “the first place now that Chinese people go for travel inspiration,” according to Olivia Plotnick, who runs Wei Social, a Shanghai-based consulting firm that helps global brands develop social media marketing strategies for the Chinese market. 

In 2021, when RedNote users discovered that Dusseldorf has a thriving Asian food scene, the hashtag #weekendtriptoDusseldorf started trending. A report in Rest of World mentioned how the platform opened up Düsseldorf’s food scene to a growing Chinese diaspora across Europe. Boaobao, a Chinese-style bakery in Dusseldorf mentioned that they only use Chinese online platforms: WeChat for payments and RedNote for promotion.

Launched in 2013 as a niche shopping app focused on overseas luxury goods, RedNote quickly evolved as its users began sharing insights on dining, accommodations, and local experiences. Today, it has over 300 million registered users.

Dragon Trail’s Chinese Outbound Travel Trade Survey in January 2025 showed nearly half of the surveyed travel agents said they have embraced social media platforms like RedNote for travel sales, and conversion rates are above average. 

A Robust Travel Platform

RedNote is an effective platform for travel recommendations, said Plotnick. Mainland travelers prefer reviews from fellow Chinese due to their shared culture. “It’s a “place to chat, discover and learn—a useful tool, not an aspirational site,” she said.

What sets it apart is that 90% of its content is user-generated rather than reposted from popular influencers, according to Sienna Parulis-Cook, Dragon Trail’s director of marketing and communications.

This commitment to original content is what makes it feel authentic and trustworthy, Cook said in a blog post. “This (90% user-generated) is actually a ratio actively upheld by Xiaohongshu (RedNote) as a company by limiting paid posts,” she said.

Unlike sites such as Instagram or Pinterest, creators on RedNote offer detailed itineraries and ranked lists. For example, a creator may post information on five different cafes they visited in a certain city, along with thorough reviews of the food, said Plotnick. This level of detail helps other users plan their own trips.

The average Chinese user conducts extensive research on RedNote before booking their own trip, entering over 100 search queries and reading more than 300 posts, according to Dragon Trail.

China’s Changing Travel Market

Younger travelers (born post-2000) who grew up online are a rapidly growing demographic. This generation is now almost half of the core market for China-based travel agents. While drawn to luxury travel and cruising, this age group is increasingly interested in niche brands and incorporating sustainability, community-based experiences and volunteering into their trips.

Growing travel trends on RedNote include nature travel, birdwatching and cultural heritage experiences. In September 2024, the most searched hashtags were—in order—#visa-free, #independant, #experience, and #seasonal.

Plotnick said young Chinese are increasingly looking for unique experiences related to health, wellness, spa and fitness. “Modern Chinese are seeking to enrich their lives in meaningful ways,” she said.

Another factor is the rise of digital nomadism as younger, longer-term travelers seek a way to combine work with travel and experience more cultural connection in countries they visit.  

RedNote’s Influence on the Overseas Travel Market

It is an increasingly important platform for brands wanting to reach the Chinese overseas travel market. Last year, Chinese travelers took an estimated 130 million outbound trips. In January 2024, the platform had over 19 million users with “high potential” for booking outbound travel and overseas travel searches on the platform increased 107% year on year.

RedNote users are 70% female and 30% male, said Plotnick. RedNote’s data shows that of the users who conduct searches on the term “outbound travel,” 77% are female, 80% are between the ages 19 - 35, and 40% come from first-tier Chinese cities.

Winning Over RedNote Users

RedNote users are suspicious of paid content, Plotnick said. Celebrities or those with large followings may have large initial reach but smaller creators and micro-influencers are more trusted and their posts are more likely to translate into sales.  

“Large brands may see it as risky to give control over to creators. However, a smaller creator knows their audience and platform much better than the brand does, so [it’s good] to give creators autonomy,” said Plotnick.

Because of the reliance on user-generated content, RedNote is a good place for brands to monitor their reputation and get honest feedback about products and services.

Plotnick added that overseas companies that want to attract Chinese tourists should consider adding WeChat and Ali Pay functions — widely used in China — for their products and services. Overseas businesses which accept these payment platforms are likely to attract more Chinese tourists.

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