According to CCTV Finance, with the rise in tourism heat in Zibo, Shandong, the local hotel industry is reviving more quickly, with many hotels already sold out for the May Day period. A staff member from a high-end hotel in Linzi District, Zibo, Shandong explained that since March, hotel room reservations have been extremely tight, with the occupancy rate essentially staying above 90%. From April 28th to May 2nd, all 260 rooms in the hotel were fully booked. Zibo's May Day accommodation reservations increased by 800% compared to 2019, leading Shandong Province.
How did Zibo get hot? Find the city's "good Zibo flavor"
There's a saying online: "To make others fall in love with your city, first let them fall in love with your taste." With its differentiated semi-self-service BBQ tri-combo of "small cake, small onion, small grill," Shandong's Zibo has ignited all of China.
Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, CCTV, Zhejiang propaganda... have all reported, with many defining Zibo as the new Internet-famous check-in location. According to media data obtained by HeyTrip, Zibo has taken the new "top flow" chair from the "center of the universe, Cao County."
Since March, Zibo's barbecue restaurants have received an average of 135.8 thousand people per day, and the business volume in the main city area has increased by about 35% year-on-year;
Zibo received more than 4.8 million visitors from outside the area, an increase of 134% year-on-year, and tourism income increased by 60%;
In April, more than 170 new businesses registered in Zibo, and Zibo now has over 3,000 barbecue businesses;
On April 15, more than 100,000 passengers arrived and departed from Zibo Railway Station and Zibo North Station;
On April 18, the total number of views for the three Douyin topics "Zibo," "Zibo barbecue," and "Zibo food" had exceeded 10 billion times, and the "Zibo" entry on Xiaohongshu had been viewed 130 million times;
The upcoming "May Day" holiday is expected to bring more than 120,000 tourists to Zibo;
According to Meituan data, Zibo's travel orders during the "May Day" period increased by 2000% year-on-year.
Since March, the fiery Zibo barbecue, which has been hot for more than a month, is still on the rise. From catering to hotel accommodation and transportation, Zibo barbecue has leveraged the entire Zibo tourism heat. So why is Zibo so hot?
Find the right food differentiation features, more "earthly flavor"
According to HeyTrip, Zibo has a long history and culture of barbecue and has been known as "Zibo Barbecue, the best in the world" since ancient times. Making a place more "earthly" can attract more tourists to visit. Another factor is the sense of socialization. Zhejiang media analysis found that Zibo barbecue has a long-lost sense of ceremony. For example, the "soul tri-combo" of stove, small cake, and small onion, the sense of social dining is the soul of the barbecue's internet virality. Several people sitting together grilling and eating, coupled with the unique generosity and wine table culture of the land of Qilu, has ignited a rare sense of human touch in catering, with super strong communication power on social media.
Pandemic Isolated Students Return to Zibo
Behind the Zibo barbecue, there's a traceable story - last year tens of thousands of college students were quarantined in Zibo, Shandong, where they received considerable care. The students promised to come back for Zibo's barbecue in the future, and they really did this year. They also actively promoted it on the internet, thus Zibo went viral, especially among the college student population.
The barbecue market is booming, and affordable barbecue is popular
Before the Zibo barbecue got hot, the national per capita consumption of barbecue was about 70-100 yuan. Zibo barbecue is characterized by its exterior specialty, but the interior is affordable barbecue, with simple ingredients, a small cake as a staple food, and very affordable per capita consumption. Zibo barbecue caters to the consumer demand for "earthly flavor" after the pandemic, with prices of 1-2 yuan per skewer, 45 yuan can get you a satisfying meal, a pancake fruit costs 4 yuan, there is no shortage of weight or quantity, and the cheap prices also become a typical feature of Zibo barbecue.
Scenic spot discounts attract "Special Forces-style travel" by college students for concentrated check-ins
From January 21, 2023 to March 31, 2023, Mount Tai scenic spot implemented a free ticket campaign targeting college students. According to statistics from the Mount Tai Scenic Area authorities on March 28, the order volume of post-2000s tourists has increased by 565% in the last two months, and the visitors are mainly college students. You can't just climb a mountain when you go out, cities near Mount Tai such as Zibo and Jinan have also been targeted by college students, sparking a special kind of tourism, "Special Forces-style travel" by college students - taking 30,000 steps a day. The term "Special Forces" refers to college students traveling all over the place on weekends, checking in at six or seven attractions in a day, even without rest at night, spending the least money and visiting the most attractions.
Shandong has also launched a 399-yuan high-speed rail travel package, offering college students free rides on buses and subways in Jinan for 30 days, free entry to three major attractions, and free accommodation for seven days for job hunting, among other benefits.
Social platforms are the driving force
In February of this year, Zibo's relevant departments invited a big V outdoor live broadcast with 20 million fans. In March, college students from surrounding cities went to Zibo in groups for barbecues, and related topics topped the trending list. Following that, on March 10, the Zibo Municipal Government News Office held a press conference, announcing measures related to the creation of the "Zibo Barbecue" food brand.
A single breakout moment on social platforms can leverage an entire city.
What did Zibo do right? Various measures to create a city card
The Zibo barbecue is one round of "breaking the circle" after another, not just about the barbecue itself, but also about various fancy measures to ensure sustained heat. HeyTrip believes that the attention of government leaders, the enthusiasm of barbecue merchants, and the simplicity and hospitality of most of the public are another word-of-mouth foundation for the popularity of Zibo barbecue, "from the government to the public, no one has dropped the ball".
Zibo people's sincere hospitality
After the Zibo barbecue became popular, the locals' actions really spoiled the tourists. The people of Zibo even shouted slogans: Fight for the honor of Zibo!
For example, Zibo taxi drivers waived fares for out-of-town tourists; locals squatted on the ground to eat barbecue to make room for out-of-town tourists; private car owners hung up banners welcoming free rides; an older woman distributed a bag of buns to each person in line, constantly saying "welcome"; a 1.85-meter tall young man in a full suit welcomed tourists at the station with a sign, also offering free photos; netizens said they would pick up trash all the way home from work, contributing to the city's image.
A barbecue shop owner said that in order to cooperate with the government in creating "Barbecue Zibo", even though the cost of ingredients and labor has significantly increased, they did not raise the prices on the menu, and even gave free drinks like cola to customers in line. "We would rather earn less money than ruin the reputation of our hometown. The last time Zibo was so famous was in the Qi State era, and we don't want to tarnish the hard-earned fame."
Government regulation and merchants banding together for self-discipline
With the popularity of Zibo barbecue, if the "fire" of Zibo barbecue is to burn brighter and brighter, the government departments and businesses in Zibo need to respond quickly. From publishing barbecue maps, adding 21 new "Zibo Barbecue" bus lines, operating Zibo barbecue special trains to give passengers gifts, actively preparing for the barbecue festival, building Zibo Barbecue City, public security, food safety, transportation, fire protection... strong logistical support gives Zibo barbecue no worries, eliminating the regret of "Qingdao Shrimp", and easing users' fear of being scammed.
HeyTrip perceives that the entire city of Zibo and all its people cherish this opportunity of "explosion in popularity" and want to use every effort to convert traffic into "stay-traffic," turning "temporary popularity" into "persistent popularity."
Promoting a Barbecue-Centered Extended Tourism Industry
As the birthplace of Qi culture, the former capital of the Qi state, and the porcelain capital of the east, Zibo has a history of over 8,000 years, especially a history of more than 2,000 years, with 18 national key cultural relics protection units and 105 provincial cultural relics protection units. As of April 2020, the city has 62 A-level tourist attractions, including 14 4A-level tourist attractions, 34 3A-level tourist attractions, and 14 2A-level tourist attractions. The city is rich in tourism resources, with decent history, nature, and cultural projects. The local government has been promoting the barbecue-centered extended tourism industry, including places like the eight bureau morning market, Tangku Cultural and Creative Park, Wenchang Lake, Haidai Tower Zhong Book Pavilion, etc.
Creating a topic explosion is easy, but it's difficult to have a city, from its leaders to its vendors and people, jointly create an incredibly affable environment. Thus, HeyTrip believes that instead of saying that college students came to Zibo for barbecue and "ate" Zibo into the circle, it is more accurate to say that Zibo, through its struggle and efforts, has turned into a highly attractive magnetic field. Those who have visited once would like to become ambassadors of "good Zibo," and the resulting cumulative effect of their communication is what's creating today's "barbecue marketing legend."
Web Celebrity Can Only Reap Traffic Dividends if They "Catch" the Moment
In March, Zibo had already received 4.8 million visitors, possibly exceeding its maximum capacity.
There are 16 trains of varying speeds from Beijing to Zibo, and from April 27th to May 2nd, all tickets are sold out.
Some barbecue shops posted notices stating, "Due to staff being overworked, we will close for three days of rest."
If you want to check in on May 1, 44 hotels in the area near Zibo North Station, where the high-speed train arrives, are fully booked.
On the second-hand trading platform Idle Fish, there are already some Zibo "queueing" services, with prices ranging from 40 to 60 yuan.
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In addition to food, for a tourist destination, more effort and energy need to be put into perfecting the life of the destination, improving the business environment and public services, and thus enhancing the tourist experience.
Popularity is only a lead-in. It's also important to maintain a good reputation and turn high online attention in the short term into lasting tourism attraction. Especially when the "May Day" tourism craze arrives, it is crucial to handle the connections in transportation, dining, accommodation, and touring well, to catch this wave of traffic and convert it into long-term development opportunities. There's indeed a lot to be done.
In the end, what HeyTrip wants to say is that Zibo is there, and it's understandable if you feel it's "impolite not to visit." But there's always more time in the future. Wouldn't it be better to give this city a more lasting love?
