Asia-Pacific

Singapore signaled an end to the Covid-19 era restrictions , removing nearly all remaining mask rules as well as all border restrictions for arrivals who are not fully vaccinated. All travel restrictions for residents of Hong Kong and Macau wishing to go to Taiwan will be lifted on February 20, three years after they were imposed. STR said Australia’s hotel performance turned a massive corner during the first half of 2022 as the Omicron wave subsided and governments relaxed travel restrictions around the country.

STR said during the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday period, China’s hotel average daily rate surpassed 2019 levels . In the recently released China Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics , analysts report the country’s total hotel construction pipeline, at the close of the fourth quarter, stands at 3,581 projects/675,074 rooms. Morgan Stanley said Macau’s hotel occupancy and daily room rates are showing unprecedented strength in the post-Chinese New Year period with at least two hotels fully booked through February and many others close to capacity.

According to  Lodging Econometrics’ Q4 Construction Pipeline Trend Report for the Asia Pacific region ,  excluding China , the region’s total construction pipeline stands at 1,903 projects/404,222 rooms, up 5% by projects and 2% by rooms YOY. South Korea’s government will remove its entry restrictions for short-term travelers from China . Singapore property tycoon Koh Wee Meng , via his entity JK Global Wealth , made an offer of 12 cents a share for the rest of developer Global Dragon .

STR reported China hotel RevPAR data for the week ended February 4th. China hotel RevPAR was up 35.6% year over year, despite a tough comp on Chinese New Year timing. InterContinental Hotels Group announced the recent signings of Crowne Plaza Shanghai Snow World and Shanghai Snow World Hotel, Vignette Collection . This is the first Vignette Collection hotel in Greater China. Macau’s Court of First Instance has officially declared the failed luxury hotel, THE 13 , as bankrupt.

Marriott International announced it signed an agreement with China Central Place, Suzhou to bring the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Executive Apartments brands to Suzhou. Following in the footsteps of Hong Kong, Macau said they may start paying people to come to visit. Macau’s latest ploy to attract new visitors is an incentive scheme for foreigners that would mimic the promotional arrangement afforded to mainlanders. TIAD is a luxury hotel currently under construction and scheduled to open July 1 in central Nagoya in Japan . They formed a partnership with Marriott International.

Marriott International’s Ritz-Carlton is presenting a newly elevated experience at The Ritz-Carlton Club across its Asia Pacific hotels, joining a successful launch in Mainland China last summer. Hanwha Hotels & Resorts signed a memorandum of understanding with Lodgis Hospitality Holdings to forge a strategic partnership to mutually boost each of their hotel and resort portfolios. New Zealand’s Sotheby’s International Realty is listing an exclusive Queenstown  development site, expected to sell for more than $40 million.

Tour groups from mainland China to 20 countries have restarted, 11 of which are in Asia Pacific. Meanwhile, in China , hotels and restaurants are frantically searching for employees. During the first six days of work after China’s Lunar New Year holiday, job openings in the hotel and catering sectors surged 40% from the same period a year earlier. Colliers Philippines said the average hotel occupancy rate in Metro Manila is expected to further increase to over 60% this year, driven by a higher number of domestic and foreign travelers.

STR reported China hotel RevPAR for the week ended January 28 was up 177.8% year over year. When compared with the same week in 2019, China hotel RevPAR was up 66.6%. STR said Southeast Asia sits at the lower end of recovery compared to other STR-defined subcontinents. They are above Northeastern Asia in terms of occupancy and average daily rate in 2022. Dusit Hotels and Resorts will add 14 hotels and resorts to their portfolio this year across China, Greece, India, Japan, Kenya, Nepal and Thailand .

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s Cities Economic Impact Report showed travel and tourism’s direct contribution to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth’s GDP and jobs continues to rise. KSL Capital Partners is among investors that are increasingly keen on acquiring hotels in remote destinations across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. A resort in the Blue Mountains that was closed during the pandemic has reopened its doors and has been listed for commercial sale following a multi-million renovation.

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.