Vietnam's Visitation Rate Is 69% of Pre-Covid Levels

According to information from the General Statistics Office, the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam in the first nine months of 2023 reached 8.9 million, a 4.7-fold year-on-year increase. September cooled a bit, down 13.4% from August to just more than 1 million foreign visitors. The nine-month visitation was 69% of pre-Covid levels. Revenue from accommodations and catering services rose by 16%, while earnings from travel and tourism services rose by 47% year-on-year. 

Over in Cambodia, the Ministry of Tourism reported that 3.5 million foreign visitors entered the country during the first eight months of the year, up 251% year on year but still down -19.7% from the same period in 2019. Cambodia is targeting 4.5 million to 5 million visitor arrivals this year.

The number of visitor arrivals coming to Macau on the third day of Golden Week topped 150,000 again, at 150,039. That brings the first three days of the 8-day holiday period to 396,854 or an average of 132,284 a day. Sunday’s 150,039 included 110,705 visitors from Mainland China, while arrivals from Hong Kong totaled 30,687.

Galaxy Entertainment Group said they want to open their Galaxy Macau Phase 4 one year earlier than expected, in 2026. Galaxy said Phase 4 will have 900 hotel rooms less than previously anticipated, down to 1,600 larger and high-quality rooms from the 2,500 originally planned. This is according to a report by Jefferies.

Dusit International, represented in China by Dusit Fudo Hotels and Resorts, announced the opening of the Dusit Thani Mogan Mountain, Huzhou, the eleventh luxury Dusit-branded property in China. The property is located at Ying Valley Resort, the east foothills of Mogan Mountain, in the heart of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Shanghai’s economically thriving region. The Dusit Thani Mogan Mountain includes 22 deluxe guest rooms decorated in a contemporary Thai style, plus three spacious villas with sweeping views of Lion Lake and the adjacent tea plantations. The next phase of the property development, including 100 guest rooms and nine villas, is slated to follow in stages. The exclusive Devarana Wellness Center will open soon, featuring a traditional Thai healing spa, hot water pools, a fitness and movement center, an outdoor swimming pool, and dedicated spaces for activities such as Yoga, sound healing, and meditation. On the F&B side, the resort includes a Chinese restaurant and an all-day dining restaurant. There also is one banquet hall and a camping site for conference activities.

Anantara Hotels Resorts Spas announced Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas is the latest addition to their archipelago of hotels and resorts. The resort features a nature-ensconced sanctuary to rest, connect, and play. The 27-acre site was once a coconut palm plantation, wedged between a wooded hill and a turquoise bay, just 20 minutes from Krabi in Thailand. The resort features 148 suites, villas, and penthouses. One and two-bedroom villas hug the shoreline and offer private butler services, complimentary bicycles, and direct beach access. The 300 square meter Two Bedroom Beachfront Pool Villa is the resort’s largest, featuring a central living space, kitchen, dining room, two ensuite bedrooms, and a pool terrace with an outdoor rain shower. There are also Family Pool Access Suites and Family Sea View Suites, as well as a 90 square meter Deluxe Sea View Suite. The Sea View Pool Penthouses are 366 square meters of luxury with eight butlers, and it owns an infinity-edge pool as well as a lot more. There are various dining options, including a signature private dining concept called Dining by Design, with a private chef and butler. An Anantara property would not be the same without an Anantara Spa, with this one having five treatment rooms split between single and double suites.

The five-star Visama Mae Chan will soft open on November 1st. The luxury tented camp is located in the mountains of Chiang Rai, northern Thailand. The new property will have 10 luxuriously appointed tents and is the first high-end lodge by Visama Hospitality Group Asia. The project is run on not-for-profit principles to benefit the neighboring Friends of Thai Daughters foundation. The opening 10 units will be complimented by an additional 12 luxury tents in 2024. The tents range from 430 to 860 square feet, including a 130 to 215-square-foot veranda.

Australian hotel owner-operator Pacific Hotels is bringing a Brisbane asset to the market amid strong demand for accommodation investment opportunities in the 2032 Olympics city. The sale campaign for The Pacific Hotel is being handled by CBRE Hotels, exclusively appointed to steer the Expressions of Interest campaign for the freehold going concern interest. The property is situated on a 2,899 sqm freehold land parcel. The 4-star, 12-story asset comprises 179 guest rooms and suites in various configurations, ranging from 27-58 sqm in size. The hotel underwent a significant $8 million refurbishment in 2019/2020 and offers guest facilities, including the Osteria Roma restaurant, multiple conference and events spaces, an outdoor swimming pool, a gym, guest laundry, and 78 car spaces over four levels. The asset is being offered for sale with vacant possession.

A mansion built in the 1880s will be transformed into a hotel under plans for a golf course residential development in an outer Sydney suburb. Studley Park House at Narellan has been a grammar school, a defense forces establishment, a private residence for a studio executive at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and most recently, a golf clubhouse. As part of the adaptive reuse development plan filed with the Camden Council, the mansion will be transformed into a five-room hotel and function hall. A new 44-room hotel linking to the historic house will be built as part of the plans, as well as a 148-apartment residential complex. The project has a capital investment value of $107.5 million (Australian).

BWH Hotels has expanded its presence in the Philippines with the opening of SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western Cebu City. The new midscale hotel is nestled in the center of Cebu City in the Philippines. The hotel features 63 modern and stylish rooms, including connecting rooms and family rooms. There is an onsite restaurant open for guests. This is BWH Hotels’ third SureStay hotel in the Philippines. BWH now operates a total of eight properties in the country.

Lemon Tree Hotels signed a deal for the Lemon Tree Resort, Somnath, Gujarat, expected to open in the fiscal year 2025. The Indian property will offer 52 rooms along with a restaurant, a board room, a fitness center, a recreation room, a swimming pool, an outdoor events venue, and other public areas. The hotel will be located 80 kilometers from Diu Airport.