As the American and European economies continue to struggle, Western hotels and travel companies have been turning to emerging countries for expansion and growth. And nowhere are there greater opportunities than in China, the biggest growth market in global tourism, according to the BBC.
Budget hotel chains in China are expanding rapidly to meet the needs of a growing business travel market. Leading domestic brands Home Inns, Jin Jiang Inns, 7 Days Group and China Lodging Group will open hotels throughout China, focusing on second- and third-tier cities, such as provincial capitals. By the end of 2011, if their plans pan out, they will rival some of the biggest hotel brands in the world.
A couple of weeks ago, I made a weeklong Business trip to India. In fact it was my first time to visit India, and I was full of excitement and also worry. Worry because I'd heard so many horror stories about upset stomachs, poverty, lack of infrastructure and the possibility to pick up some unwanted infection. So as a precaution, I visited my doctor who after some research on the CDC website gave me the appropriate shots and a course of anti-Malaria tablets. Armed with those and some emergency rations (mostly protein bars, nuts and some dried fruits), I embarked on my adventurous journey to Chennai and Mumbai.
While three flight hours south in Macau, the Pacific Asia Travel Association hosted its annual PATA Travel Mart, over 500 delegates gathered in Beijing on September 15-16 at the so far largest China Travel Distribution Summit. This key event for travel executives looking to understand how to distribute and market online to Chinese consumers, focused on the theme of “China, Consumer, Content”. For global companies, China is no longer the future. It is the present. China’s market share in the global tourism world is rapidly growing, and with over 420 million Internet users, China has the most online users in the world.
Last year, Macau overtook the Las Vegas Strip as the world’s No. 1 gaming revenue market. But how are casino hotels in Macau handling this growth? Can they keep up with new competitors in Asia and how do they compare to legendary Las Vegas?
As Indian hotels smarten up for business this winter, we look at some pricing trends that can be put to practice to allow recovery in business volumes and improved occupancy performance. The cliché phrase "Global meltdown" is a convenient reference to describe the slow and low performance of the hotels in India in the first half of the current fiscal year. The months of September and October have traditionally been eyed by the hotel Sales teams as the best time to relook pricing structures and in the last five years the trend has always seen an upward revision in published room rates as well as negotiated corporate rates.
It’s a hotel company owned by a family that dates 1,500 years, whose oldest property was built five centuries ago and whose managing director, Princess Padmaja Kumari Mewar, recently turned 29. Now HRH Group of Hotels wants to create a higher profile in North America and perhaps expand its reach through development and marketing partnerships.
Long taxi rides are a fact of life in Shanghai so arriving at one’s destination is often something to be eagerly awaited – even if the trip entails travelling a short distance - from my flat to the four-day old Peninsula Shanghai. Or perhaps amid the hype, one should approach the end of this journey with breathless anticipation, traffic notwithstanding.
I recently attended a lecture given by Elisa Backer of Ballarat University presenting on VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) travel as part of Victoria University of Wellington Tourism Futures Series. In Australia, this form of tourism makes up more than half of Australia’s domestic travel. VFR travel will become increasingly important based on forecasting of demographics. Research shows that the percentage of VFR single-person travel parties to be significantly greater than non-VFR single travel parties. Single females that live alone could represent 19% of UK households in 2030 (Yeoman, 2008), which could lead to a growing VFR market for single young females. Many people do not like to travel alone; as such VFR gives them a reason to travel. Changes in family’s structures and demography will facilitate the importance of VFR Travel in the future.
Travel & Tourism, of which Hospitality is a part, is acknowledged to Alleviate poverty. This article summarises its scope and factors facilitating growth of hospitality in India under the acronym ABCD i.e., Built-up area/FSI, Certificates, Duties. The ABCDs of the Indian Hospitality sector are: Alleviating Poverty - Hospitality is an integral part of tourism as tourists form the common denominator for both. Tourism is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries and its importance for economic development is widely acknowledged.