Q3 2025 Xiaohongshu Rankings Report

NTO accounts for Q3 2025 showed notable shifts in rankings. After Tourism Australia’s decline from first to fifth place in engagements in Q2 compared to Q1, it rebounded to the top position in Q3 2025 with a remarkable 1,729.36% increase in engagements (from 7,695 to 140,769), representing an 18-fold rise. The engagement rate for Australia also grew significantly, from 0.85% to 13.07%. Visit Norway climbed from 10th to second place, achieving a 1,992.1% increase in engagements (from 1,747 to 36,549), despite maintaining a similar posting frequency. The Swiss National Tourist Office and VisitBritain each dropped one place in the rankings but still recorded engagement growth of 77.23% and 80.09%, respectively. Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand – Shanghai Office fell from first to sixth place, experiencing a 24.39% decrease in engagements. Overall, the category’s performance surpassed that of Q2, with the average engagement per active account per post rising from 6.39 to 12.86, marking a twofold increase.

Six of the ten most popular posts came from Tourism Australia, three from Visit Norway, and one from the Swiss National Tourist Office. Tourism Australia’s top-performing post was part of a travel campaign series featuring its ambassador Yu Shi unboxing souvenirs from his third trip to Australia. In the second episode, he reveals a special item from Tasmania described as an “original piece from the world’s end.” As of September, the campaign had expanded to three episodes, each featuring hashtags such as “Yu Shi Unboxes Souvenirs from Australia,” “In Australia with Yu Shi,” “Unforgettable Australia,” and “Yu Shi, Australia’s Friend.” The remaining popular posts from Australia also showcased Yu Shi’s travel stories and experiences across the country. Visit Norway’s most popular post, which contributed to the majority of its engagements in Q3, was a destination appreciation video highlighting the Lofoten Islands. The video poetically depicted the islands as a breathtaking place at “the end of the world,” celebrated for their seasonal beauty and romantic scenery. In Q2, the Swiss National Tourist Office announced its collaboration with The King’s Avatar, featuring protagonist Ye Xiu as the “Swiss Travel Ambassador.” In Q3, the tourism board expanded this partnership with a one-month themed campaign in collaboration with Yuewen Group, bringing the popular IP to life across Switzerland. The campaign launched with an event at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich and featured The King’s Avatar installations at major landmarks including Zurich Main Station, Mt. Titlis, and Lucerne, encouraging fans to visit, take photos, and share their experiences online.

Tourism Australia’s posts featuring Yu Shi

DMOs

The Macao Government Tourism Office and Discover Hong Kong continued to lead the DMO rankings with the highest engagement, accounting for 24.40% and 23.47% of the category’s total engagements, respectively. Although Hong Kong’s overall engagements increased from 38,213 to 65,286, its average engagement per post declined slightly from 434.24 in Q2 to 400.52 in Q3. Macao, on the other hand, recorded a 181.51% increase in average engagement per post, rising from 204.67 to 576.17. Visit Queensland climbed from 10th place in Q2 to third place in Q3, marking a 1,359.14% increase in engagements (from 3,010 to 43,920). The South Australian Tourism Commission also entered the top five for the first time since Q4 2023, rising from 15th place in Q2 to fifth place in Q3, with an average engagement of 1,059.17 per post compared to 61.5 in Q2. Visit California, however, fell from third to 12th place in Q3, recording an 85.18% decrease in engagements despite maintaining the same posting frequency.

Visit Queensland had the most popular post in the DMO category for Q3. The post featured Yu Shi and his diving experience at the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, highlighting his connection to the region as a PADI Ocean Ambassador. It invited fans and followers to participate in an offline screen check-in and giveaway event celebrating Yu Shi’s underwater journey. The official PADI account (@PADI) also commented on the post, boosting visibility for both the destination and the diving experience. The top-performing posts for Hong Kong and Macao were promotional posts about singer Lu Han’s concerts held in Hong Kong on October 4 and in Macao on October 24–25, respectively. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s videos featuring Liu Yifei, its tourism ambassador, also achieved high engagement. The South Australian Tourism Commission’s video depicting the “love story” of echidnas in South Australia—while announcing the resumption of seasonal flights from Hong Kong and Guangzhou to Adelaide—also generated a significant share of its quarterly engagements.

Airlines

There were no major changes in the rankings for airline accounts in Q3. Cathay Pacific rose to first place from second, while AirAsia dropped one position to second place. The average engagement per active account per post declined from 17.64 to 14.34, representing an 18.71% decrease.

Eight of the ten most popular posts came from Cathay Pacific. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the airline has consistently produced high-quality short videos, films, and documentaries to enhance brand awareness and authenticity. A notable example is Cathay Pacific’s nine-episode documentary series “由心起动 国泰你好” (“From the Heart: Hello Cathay”) in 2024, which follows the first group of Mainland Chinese flight attendants from training to their inaugural flights. The series has achieved nearly 100 million impressions on Xiaohongshu, receiving widespread praise for its authenticity and emotional depth. In Q3 2025, Cathay Pacific also launched a short, humorous video series, “Cathay Seeks the Flavors of China,” starring Jimmy Ouyang, who portrays multiple characters in a dramatic yet lighthearted storyline centered on the airline’s inflight meals.

Cathay Pacific hight-quality videos that focus on storytelling 

This storytelling approach proves more effective than traditional advertising, as it transforms brand promotion—whether highlighting inflight meals (“Cathay Seeks the Flavors of China”), core values, or inflight wellness programs (“Wing Chun in the Clouds”)—into entertainment that audiences genuinely want to watch and share. It also humanizes the brand, showcasing creativity, personality, and attention to detail in a way that conventional advertising cannot achieve.

Airports

Airport accounts became more active in Q3 compared to Q2, increasing from a total of 277 to 399 posts across fourteen active accounts. Despite this higher posting frequency, the average engagement per active account per post declined from 8.54 to 7.79, reflecting weaker performance compared to other categories such as Cruise Lines, NTOs, and Attractions & Museums.

Four of the top five most popular posts came from Singapore Changi Airport. The most popular post promoted its “Millionaire Experience” campaign, announcing the first 2025 winner, Aloysius Wong, who selected a luxury trip to Finland featuring igloo stays, aurora viewing, and snowmobile adventures. The post also encouraged travelers to participate in the ongoing lucky draw—eligible with every SGD 50 purchase—for a chance to win similar trips or a Porsche Taycan. The second most popular post, from Cambodia Sihanoukville Airport, was a scenic video showcasing Coconut Beach, Son San Beach, and M’Pai Bay. The remaining top-performing posts from Changi Airport promoted its duty-free store, the Mr. Merlion pop-up, and a collaboration with Dianping to launch the “Changi Recommended List,” a curated guide highlighting the airport’s most popular dining, shopping, and entertainment venues.

Cruise Lines

The total engagements for Royal Caribbean International increased nearly fourfold from Q2 to Q3, reaching an average of 426.16 engagements per post compared to 150.88 in the previous quarter. Viking Cruises also saw a 99.94% increase in engagements, rising from 18.61 in Q2 to 37.21 in Q3.

All ten of the most popular posts came from Royal Caribbean International. The top-performing post features a video by influencer @刘大悦er, who has over 2.47 million followers on Xiaohongshu and is known for comedic sketches in which she plays multiple characters to dramatize everyday scenarios. The video depicts a relaxing girls’ getaway aboard the Spectrum of the Seas, contrasting the stress of daily work life with the carefree joy of cruising, promoting the cruise as a way to “reboot life” and relive youthful happiness. The third most popular post, created by @是个泡泡 (1.63 million followers on Xiaohongshu), is a travel vlog-style video showcasing a luxury experience aboard the Icon of the Seas. It highlights the ship’s grand scale, entertainment options, diverse dining experiences, and its stop at the private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. Other popular posts feature practical guides—such as “six free water refill stations”—and short-form cruise travel videos emphasizing onboard entertainment, dining, and leisure experiences.

Royal Caribbean’s promotional videos featuring popular KOLs

These types of short-form videos have strong viral potential on social media compared to traditional long-form videos, which often prioritize polished visuals and structured storytelling but lack the spontaneity and relatability that drive engagement and sharing. The success of these campaigns also demonstrates the effectiveness of partnering with popular KOLs—even those outside the travel niche—as their distinct personalities, storytelling styles, and existing fan bases help broaden audience reach and generate authentic, lifestyle-driven content that resonates beyond traditional travel audiences.

Attractions & Museums

 The attractions category recorded an increase in average engagements per post in Q3, rising from 172.72 in Q2 to 209.20 in Q3, marking a 21.12% growth. Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris continued to dominate the category, together generating 80.65% of total engagements.

 Marina Bay Sands and Marriott Bonvoy exchanged positions in Q3, with Marriott Bonvoy rising to 1st place and Marina Bay Sands moving to 2nd. Although Marriott Bonvoy’s total engagements increased significantly from 7,514 in Q2 to 19,885 in Q3, its average engagements per post declined slightly from 139.15 to 137.14, suggesting that the overall growth was driven primarily by increased posting frequency rather than stronger per-post performance.

Several of Marriott Bonvoy’s Q3 posts performed particularly well. Its top post was a limited-time “Dream Seat” surprise giveaway celebrating its sponsorship of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, where users could search designated keywords and interact with related content for a chance to win exclusive Marriott × Rolex Masters merchandise. The brand’s second most-engaged post promoted a co-branded, summer-themed “island” pop-up event with RED LAND in Shanghai, offering six exclusive entry tickets. Marina Bay Sands’ strongest post in Q3 was a promotional announcement for JJ Lin’s Beijing concert, combined with a fan giveaway sponsored by Miracle Coffee.