Representative ImageFliggy concluded its 618 summer promotion with a 25% year-on-year (YoY) increase in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) for promotional items. This year’s campaign saw a surge in consumer engagement, marked by approximately 30% more transacting users and an impressive 45% YoY increase in GMV for reserved items, solidifying the 618 event as a pivotal period for both travelers and merchants.
During the promotion period, a record number of over 6 million travel products were sold, ranging from date-specific travel options to popular "Buy Now, Plan Later" offerings such as multi-trip flight passes, multi-use car rental passes, hotel packages, theme park tickets, and leisure activity bundles.
To capture early summer demand, travel merchants leveraged Fliggy’s refined marketing strategies – including flash sales and livestreaming – which proved instrumental in driving significant growth. Over 30% of participating merchants doubled their GMV YoY, while the number of brands with sales exceeding RMB10 million and RMB1 million also saw substantial increases.
Strong demand for calendar-based bookings
Fixed-date travel products, particularly hotel calendar-rate bookings, saw robust demand during this period. Fliggy hosted multiple flash sales featuring prominent hospitality brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and Banyan Tree, alongside major domestic hotel groups including Wanda and Narada. This approach effectively enhanced member engagement, resulting in a 58% YoY increase in total room nights booked. One flash sale alone generated an additional 597 room nights for a single property.
Livestreaming fuels transaction
Livestream commerce played an increasingly vital role in this year’s campaign. Fliggy expanded its official livestream channels across various social media platforms, with promotional placements more than doubling YoY. This strategy not only boosted sales but also enabled merchants to build customer connections through brand appeal and unique offerings, rather than relying solely on price competition.
The use of cross-channel livestreams contributed to a remarkable 130% YoY increase in GMV generated through this medium. These sessions, hosted by either professional e-commerce live streamers or travel influencers, provided valuable travel and hotel tips, and insights into niche travel trends, deeply engaging with experience-seeking consumers. The average order value (AOV) during the 618 promotion approached RMB5,000 per transaction, demonstrating customers’ willingness to invest in memorable travel experiences.
Top travel destinations
Domestically, the most popular destinations included Hainan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Beijing, Yunnan, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Sichuan, with the fastest growth observed in central and western regions such as Shanxi, Hubei, Henan, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang.
For outbound travel, Japan, South Korea, the Maldives, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and the U.S. topped the list. Notably, long-haul destinations beyond a four-hour flight radius from China, including Fiji, Spain, the UAE, Switzerland, and Germany, also saw significant momentum.
Travelers hailing from Zhejiang, Guangdong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Beijing led in summer travel planning, underscoring strong demand from China’s key economic hubs.
