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Asia-Pacific
Hard Rock in Malaysia Set to Be Asia’s Largest
Efforts to attract Chinese tourists to Southeast Asia are falling short, with drops in arrivals to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam; Thailand’s visa exemption offers a temporary boost. Numerous hotel developments across Asia include expansions by Amora Group, partnerships in Malaysia and Indonesia, and potential property transformations in Singapore and Australia. DigiPlus Interactive Corp. aims to resurrect a $500 million casino resort on Boracay Island, hoping for favorable response from the Marcos administration. -
Asia-Pacific
Vietnam’s Visitation Rate Is 69% of Pre-Covid Levels
In Vietnam, foreign tourist arrivals for the first nine months of 2023 increased significantly by 4.7 times compared to the previous year, with a 13.4% decrease in September from August. Cambodia witnessed a 251% year-on-year increase in foreign visitors for the first eight months of the year, targeting 4.5 to 5 million arrivals in total for the year. Macau’s visitor arrivals during Golden Week exceeded 150,000 on the third day, with plans for Galaxy Macau Phase 4 to open in 2026 with fewer hotel rooms than initially planned. -
Asia-Pacific
FIFA Women’s World Cup Boosted Sydney Hotels
Hotel prices are surging during the upcoming Golden Week in popular cities, driven by the extended Golden Week, which includes the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day Holiday. Sydney, Australia, experienced record-high performance levels in August 2023 due to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with increased occupancy and average daily rates. Accor is expanding its presence in Japan by adding 23 properties and over 6,000 rooms to its network, with renovations and rebranding set to take place, doubling its presence in the country. -
Asia-Pacific
Hilton to Open 730 Properties in China
The Philippines Department of Tourism anticipates surpassing industry targets for tourism recovery this year, with foreign tourism receipts of Php 286 billion from January to July, reflecting over 66% international arrivals recovery, outperforming the ASEAN average of 54%. Macau experienced a significant 24.9% increase in visitor arrivals in July, totaling 2,759,544, with mainland China contributing 1,910,371 arrivals. The Philippines led the source market for foreign arrivals, contributing to Macau’s total of 14,405,421 visitors for the first seven months of 2023, marking a 310% YoY growth. Hilton plans to open over 730 properties in mainland China in the next decade, capitalizing on rising demand from the middle class amid a tourism rebound. Hilton achieved a 69.9% occupancy rate in the Asia Pacific region during Q2 2023, with a remarkable 79% year-on-year increase in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR). -
Asia-Pacific
IHG Hotels Expands in Bhutan and Bangkok
Cambodia ‘s international airports experienced a significant increase in passengers, with a 270% year-on-year growth in the first half of 2023. IHG Hotels & Resorts signed agreements for new hotels in Bhutan and Thailand , expanding its presence in these countries. Radisson Hotel Group achieved strategic growth in the APAC region, adding over 60 hotels to its portfolio, including milestone openings and signings. -
Asia-Pacific
Radisson, Wyndham and IHG Expand Presence in Thailand
Radisson Hotel Group plans to open more premium and luxury hotels in Thailand , Cambodia , Laos , and Vietnam over the next five years, with a focus on popular tourist destinations such as Bangkok , Phuket , Chiang Mai , and Samui Island . Wyndham Hotels & Resorts aims to open over 15 hotels with 5,000 additional rooms in Thailand to catch up with the country’s tourism industry recovery, but they don’t expect a return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024. IHG Hotels & Resorts continues to expand its Hotel Indigo brand in Thailand , with plans to open the Hotel Indigo Bangkok Thonglor in 2026, offering 250 rooms, restaurants, a bar, swimming pool, gym, and meeting spaces. -
Asia-Pacific
Cambodia to Revive Coastal Tourism Projects
A white paper on the Corporate Travel Management Market said some 84.5% of companies in China are expecting an increase in domestic travel business budgets for 2023 . Cambodia is making plans to finish developing large tourist areas along its coast on the Gulf of Thailand. Dusit Hotels and Resorts is set to expand its global and domestic footprints by opening three hotels in the next 30 days, including two new properties in Bangkok. -
Asia-Pacific
Mandarin Oriental’s New CEO, Radisson’s Deal With La Vie
Mandarin Oriental announced that Laurent Kleitman will be taking over for James Riley as group chief executive from September 1, 2023. Radisson Hotel Group and La Vie Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of a Master Collaboration Agreement to add over 30 hotels to the Group’s portfolio over the next 10 years. ONYX Hospitality Group has signed a business alliance agreement with Walton Asset Management Co., Ltd. to manage Shama Luxe Sukhumvit Bangkok . -
Asia-Pacific
China Outbound Travel to Spike in Early May
Fitch Ratings said China’s domestic travel has seen a significant uptick in the first quarter of this year and is likely to gain momentum in the second quarter. Trip.com said the first round of outbound travel fever in China is coming ahead of the May Labor Day . The construction of Galaxy Entertainment’s Raffles at Galaxy Macau and Andaz Macau , as well as the resort of the phase 3 hotel project for the Cotai casino , is basically complete. -
Asia-Pacific
Ritz-Carlton Club Refresh Across Asia Pacific
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.