WTM: Hotels lead the way into China
A new report has shed more light on the impact of Chinese outbound and domestic on the global hospitality industry.
The World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2011, produced in association with Euromonitor International, reveals that the Chinese will spend US$57bn on accommodation this year, third in the world behind the US and Germany.
By 2015, the Chinese will be number two, with their spend up 17 percent to $67bn.
The report says global hotel chains are partnering with Chinese businesses to get a foothold in the domestic market, while others are customising their offer to cater to Chinese tastes.
Spanish hotel giants Sol Melia and NH Hotels have both taken the partnership approach.
Sol Melia has partnered with Jin Jiang Hotels while Chinese travel group HNA bought 20 percent of NH Hotels to help the Spanish chain enter the Chinese market.
Starwood has a pipeline of 100 hotels under development in China, and Hilton Worldwide has launched Hilton Huanying, meaning “welcome†in Chinese.
InterContinental will launch a dedicated upscale Chinese brand by 2013. Its Holiday Inn Express brand in China has been renamed and translates as “Smart Choiceâ€
Carline Bremner, head of travel and tourism research, Euromonitor International, said, “Hotels are applying various strategies to learn more about the Chinese consumer and feed that insight into their global network.
“With 62 million outbound trips forecast by 2015, hotels that cater to Chinese tastes will stand out from the crowd.â€
Ian Jarrett
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