AirAsia was named The Most Influential Airline in China at the 2016 New Power of Travel Awards held in Beijing on last Friday.

The awards, hosted by Sina Travel and Youku Travel websites, review the development and trends of China's travel industry.

In statement today, AirAsia said Sina is the world's largest Chinese-language web portal, while Youku is one of China's top video and online streaming platforms.

"The two websites evaluate travel-related companies and products based on the content and readership by over 800 million people who visit it.

"The awards honour outstanding companies and products as voted by users, and provide travel guides on airlines, hotels and destinations for travellers.

"The awards committee said AirAsia had influenced free and independent travellers in China with its young, passionate and creative brand image since entering the market," it added.

Meanwhile, AirAsia North Asia President Kathleen Tan said the airline is focused on presenting the very best content on Chinese social media, as the country is a very important market for it.

"China is an incredibly dynamic market and we want to deliver an even better travel experience to our fans in China. This includes information on where to find the best food, hidden gems and great travel destinations where amazing memories can be made.

"In line with this, we are working hard with our travel tourism partners and local governments to bring the world to China and vice versa," she added. - BERNAMA