Malaysian airline AirAsia Bhd received yet another accolade last Friday as it was named “The Most Influential Airline in China” by the New Power of Travel. The awards ceremony was hosted by the world’s leading web portal in Chinese, Sina, and one of China’s premiere streaming platforms, Youku.
Kathleen Tan, AirAsia president for North Asia, who was present at the ceremony held in Beijing’s Continental Hotel said:
We would like dedicate this award to our 1.3 million Sina Weibo followers and 300 million guests. We have built our Chinese social media channels as a one-stop shop for anyone who loves to travel and wishes to interact with AirAsia. This award would not be possible without their strong interaction, feedback and support, and the fact that it signifies the approval of Chinese netizens makes it so much more important to us.
She continued:
China is very important to AirAsia. It is an incredibly dynamic market and we have focused our efforts on pushing out the very best content on Chinese social media in order to deliver an even better travel experience to our fans in China. This includes information on where to find the best food, hidden gems and great travel destinations where amazing memories can be made.
Tan finished by saying:
In line with this, our team is working hard with travel tourism partners and local governments to bring the world to China and vice versa. We believe we have the power to open up new markets, not just as an airline but as a travel partner who inspires wanderlust, discovery and a new lifestyle.
Explaining their decision, the awards committee said AirAsia had influenced FITs (free and independent travelers” in China with a “young, passionate and creative brand image since entering the market”.
The committee also added:
AirAsia has also created lots of unique content and activities on social media, so now the concept of ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’ has become more influential in China.
The New Power of Travel Awards are granted based on user votes and serve to help travellers find the best airlines, destinations and hotels.