Sardinia sees surge in Chinese tourism following Huawei campaign

A digital marketing campaign conducted by the Sardinia Regional Tourism Department in collaboration with Huawei’s Petal Ads has led to a significant increase in interest from Chinese travelers. Data presented in Cagliari shows that online searches for the Italian island grew by 90%, while bookings through online travel agencies (OTA) more than doubled, marking a 108% increase.

The campaign, which ran from May 15 to June 14, resulted in a 5.4% increase in Chinese visitors to Sardinia. Additionally, the average length of stay for these tourists rose by 13.6%. The promotional efforts utilized Huawei smartphone advertisements, digital screens in Shanghai and Beijing airports, and content from Chinese creators on platforms such as Douyin and RedNote.

Regional Tourism Assessor Franco Cuccureddu noted that the results underscore the importance of investing in high-potential international markets like China by combining traditional promotion with precise digital targeting tools.