Dubai

Chinese tourists flocked to the Middle East during Golden Week, benefiting destinations like Dubai, Thailand, and Singapore. Plans were unveiled for a hotel in Braddon, Australia, with a unique design inspired by canyons, featuring 119 suites and retail tenancies. Accor plans to open 30 new properties in India, focusing on tier 2 and tier 3 cities, introducing additional brands like Swissotel, Movenpick, and Handwritten Collection.

China's hotel industry saw a significant year-over-year increase in RevPAR, up 58.1% compared to a decline in the previous year. Hong Kong's tourism sector experienced a gradual recovery, with August visitor arrivals reaching 84% of pre-pandemic levels. Wharf Hotels introduced Maqo, a new premium lifestyle brand, expanding its portfolio and aligning with its "25 by 2025" growth vision. Maqo's inaugural hotel will be in Changsha, China, and it aims to provide unique, edited experiences for its guests.

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.

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.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board announced Hong Kong saw a provisional visitor arrival of 1.462 million in February, three times what arrived in January. Indian Hotels Company announced the opening of Ginger Chennai, OMR in Tamil Nadu in India. The World Trade Center Association and the Merlin Group have partnered to develop a World Trade Center in the Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority area, Salt Lake, West Bengal.

Oxford Economics said tourist arrivals into the Asia Pacific region are tipped to reach around 50% of pre-Covid levels in 2023. China will resume issuing visas to foreign tourists for the first time since the pandemic broke out more than three years ago. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has recently unveiled two new hotels in Australasia with the latest being TRYP by Wyndham Pulteney Street Adelaide .

Reuters published an article on how the hoped for, fast out of the gate, revenge travel by the Chinese following the demise of Zero-Covid has not occurred. Instead of a stampede, it has been more like a fast walk . South Korea and Australia were left off the next list of 40 countries to which China will resume outbound group tours as of tomorrow . Macau authorities are easing measures for entry to mainland China for visitors coming from Hong Kong , aimed at further improving circulation between the SARs and the mainland

Mandarin Oriental Singapore is temporarily closing its doors to undergo a six-month transformation. The Marina Bay property will reopen in September 2023 Accor has entered into a strategic partnership with Ecotourism Australia to certify all Accor hotels, apartments and resorts across Australia and the Pacific. A dozen new star hotels have been added during the last year in Nepal . According to the Department of Tourism, 12 new star hotels and three new resorts have come into operation in the last 11 months

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’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.