Q3 2026 WeChat Rankings Report

Dragon Trail’s WeChat Rankings Report for Q3 2026 examines and analyzes the performance of seven categories of outbound/international travel brands on WeChat: national tourism organizations (NTOs), destination marketing organizations (DMOs, referring to regional and municipal tourism boards), airlines, airports, cruise lines, museums and attractions, and hotels.

Have a question about the report, want to check your brand’s ranking, or let us know about an account we might not be tracking yet? Please get in touch at communications@dragontrail.com

Results for international travel brands on WeChat for Q3 2026 reveal a major change to the rankings for national tourism boards, new and interesting brand and cultural collaborations from several hotel groups and one airport, strong performance by Hong Kong museums, and big giveaways from airlines and airports.

NTOs

Q3 2026 was the first time since 2017 that the Japan National Tourism Organization has not topped the rankings for national tourism boards’ WeChat accounts, based on total article views – underscoring the impact of the diplomatic rift between China and Japan that started in November 2025 and has resulted in a year-on-year drop of more than 50% in Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan through this summer. Ranked 2nd and still among the top destinations that Chinese travelers want to visit, this doesn’t mean that Japan has totally fallen off the radar, but activity has cooled from both the WeChat account and its readers. The Japanese tourism board posted 34% less than in Q2, while average views per post fell by just over 20% during the same period. The top article, on unmissable Japanese summer experiences, garnered 10,721 views.

As visitation to Japan has fallen over the past year, South Korea has surged ahead and is expected to receive close to 25% more Chinese arrivals than in 2025. On WeChat, too, the Korean Tourism Organization’s Guangzhou Office moved into 1st place for total views. Average views per post for this account were up by 62% from Q2, but were still less than half of Japan’s average views per post.

(Left to right) The Korean Tourism Organization’s FIT giveaway; self-driving itineraries in Thailand; and fall foliage in Canada

The three most-viewed NTO WeChat articles of the quarter actually came from Tourism Authority of Thailand accounts, including a self-driving guide to Thailand, an introvert’s guide to slow tourism in Thailand, and a post about the Ubon Candle Festival. Both the Beijing and Guangzhou offices of the Korean Tourism Organization offered special giveaways to independent travelers – submitting their travel booking details to the tourism board gave travelers the chance to win a package including mobile data, a transportation card, electrical plug converter, discount coupons, and other useful items for traveling in Korea.

Destination Canada always generates strong results for fall foliage on WeChat in Q3 and this year was no exception, with average views per post up by more than 70% from Q3 for the tourism board – driven by a post about autumn leaves.

DMOs

Dubai’s tourism board pulled back on WeChat marketing in Q2 2026 in the wake of the Iran conflict. But in Q3, the tourism board resumed its normal posting schedule, with 63% more articles than in the previous quarter. Average views per post were up by 17.6% quarter-on-quarter, recovering to Q3 2025 levels. Dubai’s most-read posts were an article and historical photos of the iconic Toyota Building on Sheikh Zayed Road, which is slated for demolition after 50 years; and a photo post featuring UGC sourced from Chinese travelers on RedNote.

Most of the top WeChat posts in the DMO category came from the Macao Government Tourism Organization, including several typhoon alerts, shopping and dining discounts, a durian buffet offered as part of a Malaysian food festival, and information about 34th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest, held during China’s Golden Week holiday.

(Left to right) Dubai’s iconic Toyota building; durian in Macau; and wildlife in Iguassu, Brazil

Just added to Dragon Trail’s WeChat rankings database this spring, Brazil’s Iguassu region made it to the top 10 list of DMOs in Q3 – the first time a Latin American DMO has featured on the list. With Brazil visa-free for Chinese tourists from May 2026, the Iguassu tourism board received more than 3,000 views each for two articles this summer: one about places to see local wildlife, and another about the confluence of the Iguassu and Parana Rivers, separating Brazil from Paraguay and Argentina.

Airlines

Well ahead of other international airline accounts for both total views and average views per post, All Nippon Airlines offered a wide array of promotions and giveaways in Q3. Its most popular, with nearly 90,000 views, was an offer encouraging travelers to venture beyond Tokyo. This included a Japan travel planner, and free connecting domestic flights from Tokyo to any Japanese city. ANA also teamed up with Ctrip for another summer promotion and offered lots of small giveaways of items like airplane bag charms and keychains.

With more than 100,000 views, Lufthansa posted the most-viewed WeChat article by an international airline in Q3, a special giveaway to celebrate the airline’s 100th anniversary. The first 500 travelers to book any Lufthansa flight departing from Beijing or Shanghai received a voucher for RMB600 off, while another giveaway gave WeChat followers the chance to win a Lufthansa postcard collection.

(Left to right) All Nippon Airways offers free domestic connections from Tokyo; Lufthansa celebrates 100 years; and a typhoon update from Macau Airlines

Not all WeChat articles by airlines were promotional – reading rates were also particularly high for Air Macau announcements regarding typhoons, and Emirates’ post apologizing about a Shanghai-bound flight that was diverted to Hangzhou due to flooding in Shanghai.

Airports

Accounting for close to 43% of all article views in the airport category, Singapore’s Changi Airport featured a collaboration with popular Chinese animated character Nailoong from 22 September through 21 October 2026, releasing blind boxes with special edition Nailoong plush keychains. Travelers had to spend a certain amount at Changi outlets before they were eligible to purchase a blind box. Other Nailoong-related activities included a stamp quest, in-airport giveaways, and meet-and-greets with Nailoong mascots.

(Left to right) Limited edition Nailoong keychains from Changi Airport; Hong Kong International Airport’s shopping promotion; and family-friendly facilities at Heathrow

Hong Kong International Airport received more than 11,000 views for a shopping promotion in partnership with Hong Kong Airlines, which rewarded passengers spending HK$8,000 or more in a single airport shop with a HK$1,500 voucher. Ranked 3rd, Kansai-Osaka’s WeChat content was driven by giveaways. Outside of Asia, London’s Heathrow airport captured WeChat users’ attention with a post about family-friendly facilities and promotions, as well as the announcement of a new Xiamen-Heathrow flight from September on Xiamen Airlines, and a full list of the 13 mainland Chinese cities with direct flights to Heathrow.

Cruises

With the highest average views per post, Royal Caribbean International received the most views for its frequent posts promoting five day/four night cruises starting from RMB590, alongside special offers for group bookings of three or four passengers. Meanwhile, two of Viking Cruises’ most popular posts tapped into the rising popularity of Norway and the rest of Scandinavia among Chinese travelers: One article promoted a 15-day cruise around Scandinavia and the Baltics, focusing on its five-city Norway leg; while another focused on Viking Cruises’ founder Torstein Hagen and the cruise line’s Nordic spirit, featuring an interview with Viking’s Executive Vice President Karine Hagen.

(Left to right) Viking Cruises’ 15-day Northern Europe itinerary, and discounts from Royal Caribbean International

Attractions and Museums

Hong Kong museums performed especially well on WeChat in Q3, with content from both the Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+ attracting more viewers on average than Hong Kong Disneyland’s posts. The most-read post by the Palace Museum urged readers to register for a two-day masterclass on Ancient Egyptian civilization by the Palace Museum Academy,  featuring talks from six experts. Meanwhile, M+ more than doubled its average views per post from Q2 2026, with a popular promotion for a HK$360 six-month pass. Similarly, Hong Kong Disneyland’s most-read post also promoted an annual season ticket, alongside posts about Halloween activities.

(Left to right) Ancient Egypt masterclass at the Hong Kong Palace Museum; half-year membership promotion at M+; and Liu Wei’s sculptures at The Met

The most-viewed museum posts from beyond Greater China both featured Chinese artwork: The British Museum’s exhibition of two ancient Chinese paintings this summer, and a short video about contemporary Chinese artist Liu Wei’s new installation at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Hotels

International hotel chains in China embraced brand collaborations and offline activations in Q3 2026, with a positive response from WeChat users. Hilton’s account ranked 3rd this quarter, up from 11th in Q2 – its most-read post was about a Shanghai pop-up featuring Huahua the panda mascot. Hilton also launched a collaboration with China’s Bank of Communications, with crossover benefits available to Hilton Honors members and Bank of Communications credit card holders.

Another popular collaboration was between Marriott and Chinese ride-hailing service Didi, with Marriott Bonvoy members able to access special benefits with Didi (such as free cancellation or free waiting time) depending on their tier status.

(Left to right) A night at the museum promotion with Marriott; theater packages and performances at InterContinental; and a Shanghai pop-up event from Hilton

Even more interesting were several offline cultural collaborations by hotel brands. Marriott partnered with Shanghai’s Natural History Museum for a “Night at the Museum” package in August for families, with exclusive evening entry to the museum plus expert talks and other events, along with a one- or two-night hotel stay. Meanwhile, InterContinental focused on the performing arts, with themed hotel packages for theater-goers in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as a curated theater production at the InterContinental Sanlitun in Beijing to celebrate the brand’s 80th anniversary, featuring actors from major national performance troupes.