Bali

Philippines sees over 4 million foreign tourist arrivals in 9 months, exceeding tourism spending targets. Thailand's visa-free travel policy for Chinese tourists results in a 30% increase in hotel bookings, approaching 2019 levels. Various developments in the hotel and tourism industry, including a new skyscraper in Tokyo and changes in travel intentions worldwide.

CoStar and STR analysis reveal Australia's hotel market normalization as leisure demand plateaus and corporate business strengthens. Occupancy and ADR figures show progress compared to last year but remain slightly below 2019 levels. Choice Hotels APAC reports positive Q2 results in Australia and New Zealand, adding new deals and Ascend Hotel Collection locations. Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya opens, featuring music-themed rooms; DoubleDragon Corp starts construction on its first overseas hotel in Hokkaido, Japan. Macau experiences impressive hotel occupancy rebound in July; IOI Properties partners with Marriott for a new hotel in Singapore's Marina View property; juSTa Rudra Resort & Spa to open in India; The Greenwood Hotels and Resorts Group invests in Northeast India expansion; The Roxy Impiana Hotel prepares for opening in Kuching, Malaysia.

China 's hotel RevPAR rose by 22% YoY as of the week ending August 5th, and by 6.7% compared to the same week in 2019. China lifted its ban on group tours to over 70 locations, including countries in Asia Pacific, Europe , Africa , and North America . Notably, group tours to South Korea are resuming for the first time in six years. Indonesia's ONE°15 Marina Nirup Island opened, with phase two set to include a Westin Hotels & Resorts property by Q4 2024.

Chinese travelers' spending on travel and tourism within China surged by 95.9% year over year in the first half of the year, with urban residents leading the increase. Jakarta's hotel industry experienced its highest average daily rate and RevPAR levels since October 2018, with June 2023 occupancy reaching 66.7%. Bali will implement a US$10 tax per foreign holidaymaker starting in 2024, aiming to fund environmental initiatives, cultural preservation, and infrastructure development.

Philippines aims to become a tourism powerhouse with a new slogan "Love the Philippines" and a five-year plan to boost visitor numbers. Mandarin Oriental in Guangzhou introduces child-friendly MiniMO Jungle Suites and Rooms with themed decor and exclusive amenities. Pan Pacific Hotels Group plans to open Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Bangkok in 2026, featuring 191 suites and leisure spaces.

Radisson Hotel Group will open the Radisson Hotel Ploenchit Bangkok in Q2 2024, aiming to double its footprint in Thailand by mid-2024. The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali , will open in July 2023 after a year of renovations, including the addition of new facilities and restaurants. Legoland Shenzhen Resort , the largest Legoland Resort in the world, is set to open in 2024, featuring theme parks, water parks, and three themed hotels.

Summer travel bookings on Trip.com have surpassed 2019 levels, with intra-regional travel leading the way and significant increases in Asia and European markets. Top booked cities in Asia include Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Taipei , while European users show interest in hotels in Asian and Middle Eastern destinations such as Bali, Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Marrakech. Forecasts by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) indicate strong growth in international visitor arrivals across Asia Pacific destinations, although full recovery is expected to vary by scenario and region, with China projected to reach pre-pandemic volumes by 2024.

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 .

Banyan Tree Group , closing out the 2022 fiscal year with 63 properties across its global portfolio of 10 hospitality brands, expects to get to 113 hotels by the end of 2025 . Radisson Hotel Group announced the opening of Lewit Hotel Pattaya , a member of Radisson Individuals in the beach resort town of Pattaya. The grand opening of Ember Hotel , a boutique lifestyle hotel located at Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand was announced.

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.