Recently updated on January 12th, 2024 at 10:41 am
According to the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO), each year there are over 79 million people in the world who visit the US, and tourists from China were the biggest spenders at $257.7 billion in 2017. Thus, travel website localization has become a very essential marketing tool in the travel industry. If your website is only in English – you already miss a massive market of people.
In this article, we’ll review:
Table of Contents
- 9 Tips for Chinese Travel Website Translation
- Write in Simplified Chinese
- Optimize the Mobile Version
- Optimize for Baidu SEO
- Localize Your Website Content
- Localize the Online Booking System
- Delete Third Party APPs That are Blocked in China
- Avoid Sensitive Topics/Words
- Be Careful with the Tone of the Translation
- Hire a Professional Travel Website Translation Service Provider
- Frequently Asked Questions
Website translation in and of itself is becoming more and more important for reaching a broader market, especially in industries like travel and tourism. It’s essential to reach international audiences when promoting vacation spots, tourist locations, and sightseeing with as many translations of the materials as possible.
9 Tips for Chinese Travel Website Translation
Due to the cultural differences between the West and the East, a “direct” translation usually doesn’t work well. A careful approach to Chinese copywriting is required. Here are a few things that require close attention in Chinese website translation.
Write in Simplified Chinese
Although many Chinese who travel internationally may speak English, they will still prefer to research their trips in their own language for convenience and clarity, and having a website in Simplified Chinese indicates your respect for and commitment to this market.
Optimize the Mobile Version
It’s estimated that 97.5% of Chinese netizens accessed the internet through a mobile device, and 59% of Chinese online travel bookings were made using mobile devices, in contrast to just 22% in the US. The mobile version of your Chinese website is thus more important than the desktop version and should be prioritized.
Optimize for Baidu SEO
Baidu is the Kind of search engine in China. Advertising on Baidu is similar to on Google, but unless you have a registered business in China, you will need to go through an agency to set up a Baidu account on your behalf. Launching Pay-per-click campaigns is the most cost-efficient way for websites to increase their visibility on the Chinese search engine results pages and drive more traffic to the landing page of a specific website. You will need to think about which keywords your potential target market uses online to research your services, incorporate these into your copy, and don’t forget to track results and make improvements to the strategy as necessary.
Localize Your Website Content
Instead of merely translating your website content directly into Chinese from its original language, you should ideally also adapt the content to a Chinese audience. Get to know what it is about your destination or travel product that is most interesting to Chinese visitors by looking at Chinese travel websites such as Mafengwo, Qunar or Baidu Travel. Consider China-friendly recommendations (Chinese speaking venues, guides, recommendations from other Chinese tourists).
Localize the Online Booking System
Businesses such as hotels, airlines or attractions that offer online booking should also localize this, to make sure it runs properly and quickly in China. Moreover, Chinese OTA websites and apps often have a shorter booking path, and use different forms of login information and third-party authentication, than Western equivalents.
International credit cards are not so widely used in China, so together with a booking system, you will also need to accept more common forms of Chinese payment. Union Pay, Alipay and Wechat Pay are the three leading payment methods in China.
Delete Third Party APPs That are Blocked in China
If your Chinese website links to content outside your own site, keep in mind that YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all blocked in Mainland China. Therefore, if you have a YouTube video embedded on your website, people in China will not be able to watch it. In this case, we recommend using a Chinese video platform such as Tencent Video, Aiqiyi or Youku. Delete built in plug-ins that aren’t accessible in China as they would slow down your Chinese website, and also look ugly since some images might show up as error messages. Link Chinese social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo.
Avoid Sensitive Topics/Words
Be aware of political pitfalls when writing about Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, etc. These “territories” as they are officially classified by the Chinese government, should be labeled as “Chinese Hong Kong”, “Chinese Taiwan” etc.
Be Careful with the Tone of the Translation
Be very careful with the “tone” selected for your Chinese translation. Chinese tourists are sensitive to “implied” meaning. The appropriate use of courtesy words will make them feel respected in foreign countries. When you translate a sentence like “Guests are not allowed…”, it should be modified to “Please do not…”.
Hire a Professional Travel Website Translation Service Provider
Make sure you understand where the precise locale of the target Chinese market is and use an appropriate local Chinese copywriter who is familiar with the linguistic style of the required locale. Tourism is a very dynamic industry and information needs regular updating. If you are in the travel industry, it is advisable to have a long-term collaboration with a professional language services provider.
Don’t let language barriers get in the way of your guests’ getaways. Localizing your travel website may seem like an overwhelming and expensive undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use machine translation for Chinese travel website translation?
Machine translation is now an option for content that is low value and not so client-facing. However, it’s not suggested to use machine translation to publish any brand-level document that has to face the public and convey the idea of professionalism and service. This includes marketing brochures, hotel descriptions, reports, menus, magazines and newsletters, promotional material, in-flight entertainment, and of course social media posts.
What are the best practices for translating travel websites into Chinese?
Some best practices for Chinese travel website translation include:
· Hire a professional Chinese translation agency with experience in the travel industry
· Use translation memory software to ensure consistency in terminology and phrasing
· Localize content to take into account cultural differences and ensure relevance to the target audience
· Pay attention to SEO, keywords, and meta tags to make sure the translated website is ranked well on Baidu
· Test the translated website with native speakers to ensure it is user-friendly and accurate
· Ensure the translated website is mobile friendly
· Be aware of censorship and avoid potentially sensitive content
· Keep in mind date, time, measurement, and currency formatting
How do localizations impact Chinese travel website translation?
Here are a few ways that localization impacts Chinese travel website translation:
· Language
· Cultural difference
· Censorship
· Local search engine optimization (SEO)
· Date and time format, measurements, and currency localization
What are the differences between translating B2B and B2C travel websites to Chinese?
Here are a few key differences:
· Audience: B2B travel websites are designed for other businesses, such as travel agents, tour operators, and corporate travel departments, while B2C travel websites are designed for individual consumers.
· Content: B2B travel websites typically have more technical content, such as information about pricing, booking procedures, and cancellation policies, whereas B2C travel websites focus more on the consumer experience, with emphasis on promotions, reviews, and destination information.
· Language: B2B travel websites often use more formal and technical language, whereas B2C travel websites use more colloquial and consumer-friendly language.
· Cultural adaptation: In B2B travel websites, the focus may be more on logistics and technical details, whereas for B2C the focus may be more on the overall culture and experience of the destination.
· Search Engine Optimization: B2B travel websites may focus more on long tail keywords while B2C may focus on more general keywords
· Marketing strategies: B2B travel websites might have different strategies such as whitepapers, case studies and webinars to educate their target audiences while B2C travel websites may focus more on promotions and discounts.
How can translation memory aid in Chinese travel website translation?
TM is a useful tool for Chinese travel website translation, it can help with consistency, speed, cost-effectiveness, quality, terminology management and collaboration, allowing the final translation to be more accurate and consistent across the website, making it easier to maintain and update in the future.
How do mobile interfaces impact Chinese travel website translation?
The mobile interface is an important aspect to consider in Chinese travel website translation project. The website must be optimized for small screens, simple navigation, fast loading, and input methods, push notifications and mobile payments. By doing this, users will have a better experience and increase the chances of conversion.
How can using native speakers improve translating travel websites to Chinese?
Using native speakers for the Chinese travel website translation project can greatly improve the quality and accuracy of the translation, making it more relevant, appropriate, and effective for the target audience, which can increase the chances of conversion and engagement.
Translation Manager
Eva has 6 years of experience working as a News Editor and 5 years as a freelance copywriter. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and a master’s degree in applied Linguistics from the University of Melbourne.