Dianping held an awards ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on August 26 for the latest overseas editions of its “Must-Eat List” and “Must-Visit List.” The overseas Must-Eat List added 20 cities this year, while the Must-Visit List debuted across 33 cities and regions in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas markets. It was Dianping’s first public overseas initiative since Meituan vice president Tao Xuexuan became general manager of the business unit in mid-April.
Dianping is taking a distinct approach within Meituan’s international expansion.
Keeta provides food delivery and on-demand retail services directly to local consumers abroad. Dianping’s current priority is Chinese tourists traveling overseas. The two businesses share Meituan’s data infrastructure but operate independently in their services to consumers.
Dianping has also been cautious about monetization and turning overseas visits into purchases. “Transactions have never been a KPI for Dianping,” Tao said.
The company sees overseas group buying deals as a way to verify merchant information, improve business listings, and encourage authentic reviews. While social platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin help users discover places, Dianping aims to remain the service they use to decide where to spend.
