Asia Pacific to Regain 92% of Its 2019 Business Travel This Year

The GBTA Business Travel Outlook shows Asia Pacific is forecast for significant growth, with travel spending gaining 41% to US$567 billion this year, rising to $800 billion by 2027. China’s reopening will be a big catalyst for the growth, while a solid rebound is also anticipated for Japan, South Korea, and Australia, along with the return of international business travel, which is anticipated to boost Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Today’s business traveler in APAC may spend less overall per business trip but may index higher on food and beverage and hotel expenses as well as the desire for more premium options and bleisure travel than their corporate travelers in other global regions. This year, according to the survey, the Asia Pacific region is expected to reach 92% of its 2019 business travel spending of $616 million.

Trip.com said outbound travel order for the upcoming Golden Week increased nearly 20 times, and domestic travel increased more than four times over the Golden Week period last year. Popular countries for outbound travel include Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom. Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Sri Lanka and Kenya are some of the countries experiencing the highest increase in group tour orders compared with the same period prior to the pandemic. Trip.com said the volume of five-star bookings for the Golden Week period has surged compared with the same period last year. In Southeast Asia they are up 562%, in the Middle East they are up 559% and Europe by 379%.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said he expects an influx of tourists as the Golden Week holiday approaches. Numerous hotels and travel organizations have reported a surge in inquiries following the government’s announcement of the resumption of the “National Day Fireworks Display.” In addition, the ongoing “Hong Kong Night Vibes” has been running for over a week with a series of consecutive events planned at Wan Chia, Kennedy Town and Kwun Tong. The “Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance” will also be revived.

Accor announced their Novotel brand’s 50^th hotel opening in Greater Chinawith its newest destination, Novotel Xi’an Aden, located across from the Xi’an Olympic Sports Centre in the Xi’an International Trade & Logistics Park. The hotel is the first Novotel in Xi’an with more than 20 Novotel hotels in the Yangtze River Delta region. Accor currently has over 50 additional Novotel hotels in development across Greater China, which will effectively double the brand’s presence in the country by 2030. The Novotel Xi’an Aden has 230 guestrooms, an all-day dining restaurant and chic lobby lounge. The Linglong Chinese Restaurant will honor the classics of Cantonese and Shaanxi cuisine with local ingredients and skilled techniques. The hotel will have 2,000 square meters of flexible meeting and banquet space, including a pillarless ballroom and five multi-purpose conference rooms.

Accor’s Pullman Hotels & Resorts brand announced that Pullman Singapore Hill Street will start welcoming guests from October 1, 2023. The hotel is developed and owned by EL Development Pte Ltd. The new 5-star hotel will be the company’s first foray into hotels. The Pullman Singapore Hill has 350 rooms and suites, three culinary concepts, Power Fitness gym, outdoor swimming pool and a rooftop Mexican-themed swim-up bar. The rooms include Deluxe and Executive, sized at 25 square meters. The Executive rooms are situated on the higher floors for views of the cityscape. The 33 square meter ultra-premium Studio Suite houses additional amenities that include a bathtub, sofa seating, Nespresso Creatista Plus and a true tankless filtration system that dispenses hot or cold water. The third floor houses the Executive Lounge and there are function rooms.

Swiss-Belhotel International, in collaboration with PT Puri Sentul Permai Tbk, announced the opening of its Swiss-Belexpress Rest Area KM 166, Cipali. This marks the extension of Swiss-Belhotel’s Indonesian portfolio into rest areas in West Java. This follows the success of their first hotel at Rest Area KM 19, Cikampek. The hotel features three room types tailored to meet various preferences with facilities, including electronic door locks, individually controlled air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms with showers and high-speed Internet access. The Express rooms offer the choice of one or two beds with the room at 23 square meters. The Express Suite is 27 square meters.

Queensland property developer MAYD Group is set to bring a $350 million luxury hotel and residential masterplan development to North Kirra, lodging plans for a 4,742 square meter beachfront site overlooking North Kirra Beach, considered one of the Gold Coast’s most desirable places to live. Amalgamating eight sites fronting Pacific Parade, Golden Four Drive and Musgrave Street has given MAYD the opportunity to create a five-star, 160-key hotel, complimented by 60 premium private residences, including two penthouses, and five double story beach houses. Exclusive to the building’s residents will be resort-style amenities, including a private pool area with a sunken lounge and wet edge, a relaxation zone with sauna, shower and spa, yoga lawn, bar, barbeque facilities, a lounge and a cinema. The hotel’s five-star facilities include a port cochere, valet room and laundry services as well as the hotel pool, lounges and restaurant.

OYO’s Business Travel Trends Report 2023 said they recorded a 20% revenue growth from business travel in January to July compared with the year-ago period. The company added nearly 2,800 corporate clients during the period, up 12% year on year. OYO said the growth was led by a strong demand from startups, film production houses, travel management companies, small and medium-scale enterprises, and traditional business houses and conglomerates.

DB Realty has entered into separate share purchase agreements to acquire shares of Bamboo Hotel Global Centre (Delhi), Goan Hotels & Realty, andBD And P Hotels for Rs 2,300 crore. Bamboo Hotel is a joint venture between Prestige Hospitality Ventures and Marine Drive Hospitality & Realty. They are constructing a hotel complex comprising the St. Regis and Marriott Marquis with a total of 990 rooms, a large conferencing facility of 200,000 square feet, and approximately 6.15 lakh square feet of leasable office/business center at Aerocity, New Delhi. Delhi International Airport leases out the property to Bamboo Hotel for an overall period of 57 years including the lease extension of 30 years. Goan Hotels, a unit of MDHRPL, owns a five-star hotel under the brand of Grand Hyatt Goa at Bambolim, Goa. BD and P, also a unit of MDHRPL, holds a 75% equity stake and owns the Hilton Mumbai International Airport.

Personnel Move

Shwetank Singh, a hospitality veteran, is joining Chalet Hotels as the Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, He will lead Chalet Hotels’ Project Development team. Prior to joining Chalet, Shwetank managed a portfolio of hotels with international brands at Golden Sands LLC in Dubai. Before that, he was VP of Development and Asset Management at Interglobe Hotels.