Douyin Launches In-app Ride-Hailing Service
On January 24th, Douyin officially launched its “Ride-Hailing” service. The service can be accessed through a somewhat hidden entrance on the personal page under “My Wallet,” alongside options like mobile top-up, utility bill payments, and car owner services.
Upon clicking “Ride-Hailing,” users are directed to AMap Ride-Hailing, the platform through which the main services are provided. Once a starting point is selected, users can opt for “Depart Now” or “Discounted Shared Ride,” along with access to features like booking, on-demand services, airport transfers, and more. The main page of the Ride-Hailing section also hints at more brands to be added soon, indicating Douyin’s plans to integrate additional travel platforms.
Currently, there are several aggregation ride-hailing service platforms in the market. AMap Ride-Hailing, a partner of Douyin, introduced its ride-hailing service as early as 2017, aggregating various top ride-hailing brands like Didi, T3, Caocao, Xiangdao, and Shouqi. Meituan Ride-Hailing extends Meituan‘s diversified strategy by offering users a comprehensive travel service within the Meituan ecosystem. WeChat’s “Travel Services” also integrates multiple travel platforms. Additionally, Huawei’s “Petal Travel” is actively expanding in the aggregation ride-hailing field, providing users with aggregation ride-hailing and other related travel services.
In 2019, Douyin allowed travel service providers to join its platform, but users could not directly hail rides on Douyin; they could only be redirected to the service provider’s app or WeChat mini-program through advertisements.
The official launch of Douyin’s ride-hailing service indicates that ride-hailing services will complement Douyin’s existing businesses such as dining, entertainment, and travel, enhancing Douyin’s commercial ecosystem. This move is expected to increase user engagement and the frequency of platform usage.
According to data from the China Industrial Research Institute, the Chinese online ride-hailing market was valued at approximately 360.6 billion yuan in 2023, with a year-on-year growth of 10.51%. Analysts predict that the market will further grow to 386.4 billion yuan in 2024.
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