Will Xiamen Become The Next Aranya? Louis Vuitton Bets Big On Domestic Travel Boom In China

What happened Louis Vuitton’s resort pop-up store will arrive in Xiamen, a port city on China’s southeast coast, on June 5. The store will feature the LV by the Pool 2023 collection, which debuted at the brand's new store in the Hamptons on June 2 before rolling out to some of the most popular resort towns around the world. Located on the iconic Huangcuo Beach in Xiamen, the pop-up store creates a refreshing summer vibe featuring blue, nude, and pink shades. Along with the collection of iconic bags and airy silhouettes, a Louis Vuitton bookstore and special dining experiences will be presented on the beach. The French luxury house is also bringing its signature travel culture to China's transportation hubs with the launch of out-of-home advertising. In September 2022, Louis Vuitton posted its “Towards A Dream” campaign on boarding bridges at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. More recently, it debuted a global travel campaign titled “Horizons Never End” starring Lionel Messi, Gisele Bündchen, and Jackson Wang, which has been mounted at airport luggage belts and city hubs like Shanghai Xintiandi. To maximize the campaign's reach, the brand also launched a WeChat Mini Program dedicated to its travel category. The Jing Take Louis Vuitton is consolidating its brand DNA rooted in travel and doubling down on the evolving Chinese traveler. According to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, annual domestic trips remain at roughly 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels, amounting to 8.7 billion domestic trips over the past three years. During this time, as McKinsey points out, “the domestic market matured, and travelers became more sophisticated as they tried new leisure experiences such as beach resorts, skiing trips, and staycations in home cities.” The LVMH brand has invested in domestic travel destinations including Qingdao, Shenzhen, and Aranya since the pandemic. With this latest initiative, it is betting on Xiamen to become China's next popular resort city. During the May Day holiday, Xiamen welcomed a total of 3.3 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 58 percent, surpassing pre-Covid levels. Tourists who take overnight trips to Xiamen are mainly 20-39 years old, reflecting the city’s appeal to young and middle-aged demographics. By rolling out cultural activations like a pop-up bookstore and publishing a local edition of its City Guide series, the fashion giant cultivates its cultural relevance with Gen Z audiences. Moreover, by exploring unique coastal cities in China and posting about them on social media, Louis Vuitton aims to inspire local travelers. On Xiaohongshu, the branded hashtag “Travel With LV” (带着LV 去旅行) encourages celebrities and influencers to post their travel vlogs featuring Louis Vuitton’s products. This organic approach not only allows users to discover the house’s extensive travel category beyond iconic trunks but also explore niche and culturally rich destinations. [wpgallery id="143632"] Louis Vuitton mounts brand campaigns at transportation hubs in China. Photo: Louis Vuitton China is expected to further open up to travel, both inbound and outbound, in the second half year. This could offer dynamic opportunities for luxury houses eyeing the travel sector. And with a fully-fledged omnichannel strategy, Louis Vuitton is poised to share its travel stories with local tourists, online and in person. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

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Will Xiamen Become The Next Aranya? Louis Vuitton Bets Big On Domestic Travel Boom In China