Changing the Tourism World for Chinese Travelers: Q&A with HI GUIDES

A little background information…

Tell us a bit about HI GUIDES.

HI GUIDES was established in December, 2014. With 100,000 overseas Chinese–speaking driver-guides, it provides Chinese-speaking airport transfer, private pick-up and chartered routes by Chinese–speaking driver-guides (calculated in terms of half-day, full day or designated line) in more than 1,500 cities in over 80 countries all around the world.
By Jan 2017, HI GUIDES has provided service for 2,000,000 Chinese customers traveling abroad.

What makes HI GUIDES different from other providers in the same travel segment?

Compared with other providers, we have strong advantages in coverage and service.

1. No middle-man. Direct communication between the customer and providers reduces costs significantly for the customer.
2. All-inclusive packages. The price includes fuel costs, tip, toll, parking fees, traffic charges, meal allowance, driver-guide service fees and vehicle fees. The price is transparent without hidden fees.
3. Efficient, real-time service. Customers are able to book the service 2 hours in advance in most circumstances, while in some busy cities, they can book 30 minutes before.
4. Insurance is free. Company provides insurance offered by Ping’anto. The customer is insured and can be compensated reasonably for any accidental injury during transfer service and the chartered service.

What countries/travel destinations are most popular right now?

The top 20 busiest cities are:

• Tokyo
• Osaka
• Chejudo
• Seoul
• Singapore
• New York
• London
• Taipei
• Bangkok
• Hong Kong
• Paris
• Kuala Lumpur
• Sydney
• Phuket
• Melbourne
• Sapporo
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Rome
• Bali

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Tips for driver-guides

Once I’ve signed up as a driver-guide on HI GUIDES, how can I best promote it to get noticed?

Once you’ve registered with us, you will receive a message when a customer chooses your services. The driver-guides app will send you a push notification with the details of the customer’s route, including the number of passengers, the pick up location and final destination. The driver-guide can promote himself by providing good service and receiving positive customer reviews. Any complaints from customers influence the ranking of driver-guides.

I’d like to get started with HI GUIDES today, where should I begin?

Folks wishing to join us can visit our website www.huangbaoche.com, where we explain how to join HI GUIDES!

How can I receive payments from HI GUIDES?

Our vendors can receive payments via their mobile application. They can sign up for Payoneer and other payment methods within the app. Once approved, they can initiate the payment withdraw requests.

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Looking ahead

How do you see the future of this industry? Where are the big opportunities?

The outbound traveling industry in China is growing rapidly; in 2016, about 135 million people traveled outbound (compared to 120 million in 2015), and we expect the growing trend to continue for at least the next a few years.

Where do you think HI GUIDES will be in 5 years?

HI GUIDES will be the leading company in the Chinese outbound travel industry. We will be covering a wide range of Chinese traveler needs during their stay in their destination country, including (but not limited to) transportation, guides, dining, local experiences, etc.