Asia-Pacific

Fitch Ratings revised the Maldives’ outlook to Negative from Stable while affirming its Long Term Currency Issuer Default Rating at B-. Hilton announced plans to expand the presence of Conrad Hotels & Resorts through Conrad Singapore Orchard . Singapore’s Far East Organization is planning to develop a new hotel in Sydney’s Rocks district , with a proposal to redevelop the Clocktower Square with a luxury new property.

STR  reported China hotel data for the week ending 10/8. China hotel RevPAR was down -16.5% year over year (Golden Week). When compared with the same week in 2019, RevPAR was down -12.7%. People’s Daily , considered the Communist Party’s way of getting the message out to the Chinese, said China should stick with its zero-Covid strategy . Hyatt Place Huangshan Train Station , the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Huangshan, is officially open.

STR  said  Sydney’s monthly hotel performance  reached a pandemic-era high, according to preliminary September 2022 data from STR. Singapore   international visitor arrivals  continue to be strong but The Business Times said the momentum appears to have slowed down in recent months. InterContinental Sydney  announced the completion of its extensive renovation program to welcome the hotel’s next chapter.

While  Golden Week was a bit tarnished for hoteliers in China , it created a breeding ground for Covid cases and that was not a disappointment. The number of Adelaide hotel rooms filled in one night  hit a new high last month. For Macau , a Covid boom means new quarantine and other measures, bringing down the mood after there were 163,000 mainland visitors entering the city during the seven days of Golden Week.

A new report from international travel industry analysts, the  Centre for Aviation , predicts the  Asia Pacific region  will no longer be the world’s largest travel region by the end of 2022. Hyatt Hotels  announced the opening of the  Fuji Speedway Hotel  in  Shizuoka, Japan , the first property within  The Unbound Collection by Hyatt  brand in Japan. Business Line reported  Accor   plans to divest its stake in Indian ventures , opting to go asset-light through management contract deals.

Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida  is pledging to increase inbound tourism spending to more than 5 trillion yen per year. OYO  has introduced an improved flagship  patron-facing app – CO-OYO . The Economic Times reported on  the comeback of “big fat weddings” in India .

Macau saw 65,677 visitor arrivals over the weekend in the first two days of the National Day Golden Week. Marriott International announced their JW Marriott brand opened the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites, an all-suite luxury retreat nestled in a serene beachside setting on southern Thailand’s Andaman coast. Hilton Grand Vacations announced the grand opening ceremony for The Beach Resort Sesoko, a Hilton Club.

Enova Estates SL  issued a press release on  new resorts expected to open in 2023 in the Maldives . They currently have over 160 island resorts. The Lee family has offered a takeover bid for Mulpha International Bhd, a continuation of a trend of privatizations and buyouts of public listed companies in Malaysia. Marriott International announced the signing of an agreement with Yuexiu Property to bring its Ritz-Carlton brand to downtown Wuhan in China.

The number of international tourists to Cambodia  is expected to reach the pre-Covid-19 pandemic level in 2026. Indian Hotels  and other hospitality firms in India have said they are eyeing price rate hikes. IHCL recently went back on that, saying the price hikes will have to wait until November. Hyatt Hotels Corp  announced the opening of Hyatt Centric Sector 17 Chandigarh, marking the debut of the Hyatt Centric brand there.

STR reported China lodging data for the week ended 9/24. Hotel RevPAR was up 5.1% year over year. When compared with the same week in 2019, RevPAR was down -21.5%. The St. Regis Jakarta is set to debut on November 10, 2022, within Jakarta, Indonesia’s Golden Triangle District. Club Med said their three Japan properties are ready to welcome back guests. That includes the brand new Club Med Kiroro Peak, opening in December 2022.