Group buying network to become a new marketing channel for tourism products

In recent years, with the rapid development of electronic commerce in the world, the network group buying, as a new commercial retailing mode, has innovated the channel model of e-commerce in the field of consumption. As an important part of the consumption field, the tour group has not only become a hot product, but also developed a vertical tourism product group purchase, which has become a hotspot in the tourism e-commerce.

At present, although the domestic group buying industry presents the "Thousand Regiment War" lively scene, but involved in tour groups to buy a few sites. This is mainly because tourism demand is more a kind of off-site consumption, and group buying based on the characteristics of the local consumer market conflict. Secondly, the tourism product is a sporadic consumption, consumption frequency is low, difficult and other per capita consumption higher than the product. Again because with the catering, hairdressing and other relatively mature group purchase products, group purchase travel related services longer, more professional, involving more services, and the quality of service requirements are also higher, so the general group buying sites rarely involved. Under the combined action of these factors, the development of tour group can become a main channel of tourism distribution, the prospect is not clear, its development waits for the further excavation of consumer demand and the continuous promotion of tourism consumption demand.

November 2008, the United States Group purchase website Groupon set up, compared to traditional group buying site, "Groupon mode" with its clear, simple, direct business model by the vast number of consumers and entrepreneurs sought after. At present, the domestic imitation and follow up Groupon mode of group buying sites are numerous, according to the Chinese Internet Association data shows that since March 2010, domestic group buying site after a short period of eight months of development has reached 1664, the industry called "Thousand-League War", Group buying has become the most popular way of online consumption for young white-collar workers. At the same time, the rapid development of group buying site has also made it a new type of e-business model which was concerned by venture capital in the 2010.

In the field of tourism in China, 2010 is a concentrated outbreak of the year. August 2010 Domestic Travel search website Search Brigade Web site Search Brigade (t.soulv.com) officially online, the site on the beginning of a free group to buy backpackers favored Red Bull drinks as a gimmick, the purchase of good, earn enough attention. At present, the tour group to buy the site mainly to Hot Springs and ski group buy two groups mainly.

September 2010 Domestic Group purchase site full Network (manzuo.com) and Tourism satellite TV to join hands to launch a discount group purchase price of 99 yuan, you can exchange for a long tour of tourist TV card (Jetta holiday travel vouchers) "group buy overseas" activities.

January 2011, the domestic famous tourism vertical search website where the network (qunar.com) officially announced into the field of group buying, January 6 its group buying channel (tuan.qunar.com) officially online. Where are we going? NET Group buy channel currently main hotel rooms, restaurants and spa and other hotel category group purchase, will also introduce air tickets, holiday products and other group purchase items. Where are we going? Group buy channel launched high-end quasi-five-star Beijing Xinhai Jinjiang Hotel Superior rooms, during the off-season, the online 7 days to pay thousands of daily purchase to complete the night, the equivalent of the traditional travel booking site A quarter of the night number.

In fact, the group purchase site for the merchant has two major functions. One is to play the role of a sales channel. In some cases, businesses can profit directly by selling goods or services. At this point, although the price of products or services offered by businesses is very low, but because sales can still profit; the second is that the site itself is also a huge advertising value of the media platform, the business can obtain full exposure and brand recognition.

From the current group purchase site group Purchase products, there are three main features: first, when the purchase of the user reached a certain amount, the merchant often does not because of the provision of a lower discount and loss; second, the group buyers are not necessarily in accordance with the agreed period of consumer products, according to experience estimates, a large share of the "buy without" the share, These shares directly into the net business profits; third, consumers may produce two consumption, for some businesses, the provision of the purchase service itself may be only capital preservation or even loss, but its hope in the consumer's two consumer behavior. Of course, the goods provided do not necessarily need to meet the above three points.

In three cases, tourism products are suitable for group buying mode: first, the marginal cost of business is very low or even zero. For example, for the off-season hotel, regardless of the customer booking and consumption of more and less, its fixed costs are unchanged, so in the off-season, in the peak season, half or lower prices filled with free rooms, for it is profitable. Second, although the profits of businesses are 0 or even losses, businesses can make money two times. For example, when selling tickets to a theme park or spa hotel to consumers, consumers may end up buying souvenirs or paying for other consumer items in the hotel. Third, businesses can promote and promote through consumers. For example: a relatively disadvantaged hotel or a newly opened hotel, can provide consumers with a low-cost or free service, so that they enjoy high-quality services to their friends and relatives recommended to the way of word of mouth to achieve publicity and promotion purposes.