Q2 2024 Weibo Rankings Report

Looking at the same period in 2022, 2023, and 2024, there were notable changes in engagement across various travel categories. From Q2 2023 to Q2 2024, NTOs saw a substantial increase of 62.1%, rising from 2769.71 to 4494.25. DMOs experienced a remarkable 130.2% growth, from 4296.95 to 9840.12. The airlines category, excluding Cathay Pacific for Q2 2023 due to an outlier incident where engagements spiked following an official apology on May 23, saw a decrease of 39.4%, dropping from 1352.65 to 819.97. Cruise lines’ engagements more than doubled in Q2 2024, increasing by 130.5%, from 621.8 to 1434. Attractions experienced a 78.8% decrease, from 4550.79 to 966.47. Hotels saw a 53.5% increase, from 7490.58 to 11509.68, reflecting a recovery in accommodation demand and increased international travel.

Qatar Airways rose to the top of the ranking from 15th place in Q1 2024, increasing its total number of engagements by 936.12%. The top two posts from Qatar Airways were giveaway posts for different sports events—one offering an Inter Milan signed jersey, and the other a luxurious travel package for the F1 Qatar Grand Prix 2024. Lufthansa, which was ranked 1st in Q1 2024, dropped to 14th place in Q2 despite nearly tripling its posting frequency. Other top posts that received a high number of likes were mostly related to special discounts on flights, travel tips, and user-generated content featuring travel experiences. On June 11th, Cathay Pacific premiered its self-produced documentary ‘Feels Good to Move’ (由心起动), which narrated the stories of Cathay Pacific’s flight attendants. The documentary series received a decent number of engagements and sparked discussions.

Qatar Airways’ posts about sports events and giveaways 

Similar with Q1 2024, only four cruise line accounts were active in Q2. The average engagements for the cruise line category increased drastically in Q2 2024 compared to the previous quarter, marking an 826.8% rise. This surge was largely driven by a specific post from Viking Cruises about a luxury cruise promotion featuring actor Yunlong Zheng, which highlighted an exclusive onboard experience. The post received a total of 5,265 engagements, accounting for 91.79% of the category’s total engagements. Non-celebrity-related content was less popular, receiving fewer likes and comments.

The hotels category experienced a significant decrease in average engagements in Q2 compared to the previous quarter. Marina Bay Sands Singapore, which generated the majority of engagements in Q1, saw a 69.3% drop, decreasing by 484,300 engagements. Bulgari Hotels also exhibited a decrease of 91.66% in Q2, resulting in a significant drop in engagement rate as well.

The top post came from Marina Bay Sands Singapore, featuring singer Xukun Cai’s stay at Marina Bay Sands last year. The second most popular post was about singer Yizhou Luo’s stay at the Sofitel Hotel in France. The third most popular post detailed actor Yecheng Zheng trying out the Michelin 1-star restaurant, Il Ristorante-Niko Romito, at Bulgari Hotel Beijing. High engagement in the hotel category was primarily driven by celebrity-related content, focusing on their experiences at specific hotels, along with accompanying photos and videos. These posts often included hashtags of the celebrity’s name and “Super Topics,” enabling the hotel brand to quickly generate discussions and attract Weibo users to join interest-based content communities.