Rapid growth in short trips – Strong above-average rises in Asia and North America trips – Europe loses market share – ITB Berlin and IPK International analyse the travel flows of Chinese tourists
Marco Polo Hotels' 2015 Marketing Conference was recently held at their newest luxury hotel, Niccolo Chengdu. The hotel is located in the renowned International Finance Square complex in the capital of Sichuan, China.
The continued, sustained growth in the number of Chinese international travelers presents huge opportunities for the global tourism industry and hoteliers, reveals the Hotels.com® Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) 2015. According to the latest major annual study from Hotels.com, tech-savvy, younger and more affluent Chinese form a substantial part of the 20 percent growth in outbound mainland Chinese travelers, reaching 107 million in 2014[1]. The report also highlights the need for hoteliers to cater to Chinese travelers' needs such as Chinese-speaking staff, Chinese-language tourist guides and dedicated websites.
The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) released a report on the PolyU Tourist Satisfaction Index (PolyU TSI) and the Tourism Service Quality Index (PolyU TSQI), presenting both indices for Hong Kong in the year 2014. The 2014 PolyU TSI and PolyU TSQI stood at 74.50 and 74.51 respectively, both recording year-on-year drops.
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), in partnership with the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), has announced a call for nominations for the second annual Rising Star Award Asia Pacific. This is an important award, as both organizations recognize the importance of identifying and saluting future hospitality leaders in the Asia Pacific region.
Marco Polo Hotels chose the recently opened new luxury hotel brand, Niccolo Chengdu, China, for the General Managers Conference to showcase the new direction for the company. General Managers, Food & Beverage Directors and Executive Chefs gathered to take part in a strategic meeting as well as to exchange ideas and best practices during the conference held in May.
One year since announcing a strategic partnership, San Francisco-based Commune Hotels & Resorts formalizes its presence in Asia with the addition of Alila Hotels and Resorts to its portfolio of boutique hotel brands. Singapore-based Alila marks Commune's fourth hotel brand, joining Joie de Vivre Hotels, Thompson Hotels and tommie.
The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) today announced that it will invest an additional $250 million in Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (NASDAQ: CTRP) ("Ctrip"), China's leading online travel company. The investment will be made via a convertible bond and Ctrip has granted permission to The Priceline Group to increase its ownership in Ctrip through the acquisition of Ctrip's American depositary shares in the open market so that, when combined with the shares issuable upon conversion of the new bond and the $500 million convertible bond issued to The Priceline Group in August 2014, The Priceline Group may hold up to 15% of Ctrip's outstanding shares.
Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT) today announced a global partnership with Japan's biggest airline, ANA, to introduce cutting-edge airline lounges and in-flight services that will raise the bar for the travel and hospitality industries worldwide. The initial phase of this alliance will run between June 1 and August 31, 2015 and is designed for both Japanese and international travelers to "Experience More" of the renowned Hilton hospitality when they next travel through the ANA Haneda or Narita lounges or embark on a flight from Tokyo to Honolulu.
As a brand that firmly believes that its people are the biggest asset of the company, Tune Hotels Group seeks to assign the right people according to their areas of expertise, to ensure the growth and continuity of the group.
What can be more fascinating than spending a magnificent getaway at a luxury Fiji resort? What about exploring the seascapes of Fiji's Laucala Island in one of the world's most advanced miniature submarines DeepFlight Super Falcon Mark II? The island is home to one of just three such submarines in the world, and the presence of this Hawkes Ocean Technologies' DeepFlight Super Falcon offers the most amazing, unforgettable and safe underwater adventure for guests.
Hilton Worldwide today announced the expansion of Hilton Huanying (huān yίng) - a program that offers Chinese travelers a customized hospitality experience during their stay - to more than 110 Hilton Worldwide properties globally. As Chinese citizens make up the world's largest outbound travel market1 and are continually evolving in their needs, Hilton has updated the Huanying program amenities and service standards. These offerings meet the needs of the modern day Chinese traveler, while maintaining the comforts that harken back to home. With this expansion, Hilton Huanying - deriving its name from the Chinese word for 'welcome' - will now greet guests at participating hotels under brands including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton in more than 30 countries and 65 cities popular among Chinese travelers, including Tokyo, Seoul, London, Paris, New York and San Francisco.
Hilton Worldwide today announced the expansion of Hilton Huanying (huān yίng) – a program that offers Chinese travelers a customized hospitality experience during their stay – to more than 110 Hilton Worldwide properties globally. As Chinese citizens make up the world's largest outbound travel market1 and are continually evolving in their needs, Hilton has updated the Huanying program amenities and service standards. These offerings meet the needs of the modern day Chinese traveler, while maintaining the comforts that harken back to home. With this expansion, Hilton Huanying – deriving its name from the Chinese word for 'welcome' – will now greet guests at participating hotels under brands including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton in more than 30 countries and 65 cities popular among Chinese travelers, including Tokyo, Seoul, London, Paris, New York and San Francisco.
In pioneering study, Professor Hanqin Qiu of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and two co-authors have found that China's high-speed railway has increased domestic tourism demand. The researchers investigated the effects of the 1,070-kilometre Wuhan-Guangzhou stretch of the railway on domestic tourism receipts in three Chinese provinces, finding that it has produced significant benefits for tourism in Guangdong and Hunan, with Hubei lagging behind. Yet the overall situation, they suggest, broadly confirms that "transport infrastructure is a necessary precondition for the development of the tourism industry".
Distribution - The distribution landscape is always evolving and 2015 has started with a bang, or two! With the consolidation of the big brand OTA’s along with the emerging new channels, there is a lot for the revenue manager to think about. Things are developing so quickly that it is difficult to see how to adapt and select the right opportunities. The most successful hoteliers are adapting their distribution strategy in order to optimise revenue and profit from the different channels. If you’re not changing your distribution strategy this year, you might be falling behind; don’t expect the same results from a vastly different landscape.
Distinguished Asian hospitality groups Dusit International and Prince Hotels (Japan) have entered into a strategic partnership that positions both companies to expand their reach in the region and beyond.
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) presented Nirupa Shankar with the 2015 Rising Star Award South Asia. As a Director for Brigade Hospitality Services, Shankar is responsible for business development, operations strategy and analytics. She has made a significant impact by reducing costs, improving company processes/policies and introducing new ways of managing assets.
The First World Conference on Tourism and Culture will bring together, for the first time, Ministers of Tourism and Ministers of Culture from around the world, experts and stakeholders from both sectors to explore new models of partnership between tourism and culture (Siem Reap, Cambodia, 4-6 February 2015).
Accor (CAC 40 – AC.FR) and Huazhu Hotels Group (also known as China Lodging Group – Nasdaq: HTHT) today sealed an extensive and long-term alliance to create the most prominent and diversified hotel company in China, with more than 2,000 hotels and the strongest pipeline in the country.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has established a new National Sales Organisation (NSO) to support its growth plans in South West Asia (SWA). With a newly-formed team based across Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru, the NSO will focus on developing strong relationships with domestic companies to drive business to the hotel group's 23 hotels across the region.