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China's hotel industry shows strong recovery with a significant increase in RevPAR, benefiting companies like STR and driving pent-up travel demand, particularly from Chinese tourists. Major developments in the hospitality sector are underway in various locations, including Thane (Maharashtra) where Oberoi Realty plans to develop a luxury hotel managed by Marriott International or Hyatt, and Dhaka (Bangladesh) with multiple new five-star hotels expected to open in the coming years. Hotel projects and expansions are also taking place in Nagoya (Japan), Tokyo's Shinjuku area, San Fernando (Pampanga, Philippines), and Nha Trang (Vietnam), indicating growth and investments in these respective regions.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism in China said domestic travelers reached 274 million during the recent Labour Day Golden Week holiday, topping 120% of pre-Covid levels . Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa is set to introduce a new era of exciting hospitality to Vietnam’s central coast. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been appointed by Eleven D&C Co., Ltd. to manage Rosewood Seoul , a new build ultra-luxury hotel set to open in 2027.

Golden Week started off with a bang in the SAR with Hong Kong reporting 165,000 people crossed the border into the city on the first day while more than 110,000 tourists from the Mainland left Hong Kong. In June,  SJM  will open the 271-room  Karl Lagerfeld Hotel  on  Cotai  in  Macau . The project was initially unveiled in 2014 but was delayed for various reasons including the pandemic. The Rosewood Ranfaru  in the  Maldives  is expected to open in 2027, stretched across a striking chain of private islands around a pristine lagoon in the South Male Atoll

An HVS Anarock report on the Indian hotel market shows the number of hotel rooms in tier-II and tier-III cities increased to 38% of the total inventory at the end of 2022 from 33% four years ago. Hyatt Hotels and Sun Hung Kai Properties announced the opening of Andaz Nanjing Hexi in Greater China . RCI , part of Travel + Leisure Co , announced its new affiliation with two luxurious resorts in Vietnam: APEC Mandala Phu Yen and APEC Mandala Retreat Kim Boi .

STR said China hotel RevPAR for the week ended April 15, was up 155.1% year over year. Marriott International announced it signed agreements with Vinpearl for an additional seven hotels and resorts in Vietnam , comprising more than 2,500 rooms. The Ascott Limited , a unit of CapitalLand Investment Limited, has achieved its target to secure 160,000 units by 2023 with the  signing of over 4,000 units in 1Q this year .

STR said Southeast Asia’s hotel industry is seeing the return of MICE . While leisure travel has shown the most resilience in the region, much of the recent demand in Southeast Asia can be linked to MICE travel and events. The Singapore Tourism Board said the number of visitors from India rose by 3.5x in the first quarter of 2023, year over year. IHG Hotels & Resorts announced plans to expand its presence in Asia through developments in Nepal and Indonesia .

Xxpectations for everyone in the Asia Pacific region was the reopening of China would cause a regional surge but so far, that has been muted. For February, the biggest proportion of tourists to Indonesia came from Malaysia , followed by Australia and Singapore . The Singapore Tourism Board has signed a new three-year Memorandum of Understanding with Flight Centre Travel Group Limited aimed at driving increased visitation to Singapore via FCTG’s global network. Las Vegas Sands is expected to complete their US$1 billion upgrade of hotel facilities at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore by the end of the year.

Singapore has urged Chinese authorities to restore flight capacity between the two nations to pre-Covid levels as soon as possible in a bid to improve business and tourism ties. South Korea will increase the number of flights into the country from China to 80 from 62 per week by the end of this month. European Union countries have agreed to phase out pre-departure Covid testing for travelers from China by the end of the month.

Singapore hotels’ average room rate was up 27.7% in December 2022 from a year ago to a new 14 year high of S$285.84. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos has approved a value-added tax refund program for foreign tourists by 2024 to attract more visitors. The first Hilton hotel in Japan’s Hokuriku region has opened. The DoubleTree by Hilton Toyama is located within a three-minute walk of Toyama Station.

Singapore said it is expecting between 12 million and 14 million international visitor arrivals in 2023. That would be more than double the 6.3 million final tally of visitors in 2022. Sortis Holdings, Inc. is acquiring boutique hotel company Ace Group International and its management company, Atelier Ace. Yesterday we reported on the Wyndham Danang Golden Bay in Vietnam and today we cover the Wyndham Vuon Vua Thanh Thuy .