Melbourne

Singapore signaled an end to the Covid-19 era restrictions , removing nearly all remaining mask rules as well as all border restrictions for arrivals who are not fully vaccinated. All travel restrictions for residents of Hong Kong and Macau wishing to go to Taiwan will be lifted on February 20, three years after they were imposed. STR said Australia’s hotel performance turned a massive corner during the first half of 2022 as the Omicron wave subsided and governments relaxed travel restrictions around the country.

Marriott International announced it signed an agreement with China Central Place, Suzhou to bring the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Executive Apartments brands to Suzhou. Following in the footsteps of Hong Kong, Macau said they may start paying people to come to visit. Macau’s latest ploy to attract new visitors is an incentive scheme for foreigners that would mimic the promotional arrangement afforded to mainlanders. TIAD is a luxury hotel currently under construction and scheduled to open July 1 in central Nagoya in Japan . They formed a partnership with Marriott International.

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s Cities Economic Impact Report showed travel and tourism’s direct contribution to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth’s GDP and jobs continues to rise. KSL Capital Partners is among investors that are increasingly keen on acquiring hotels in remote destinations across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. A resort in the Blue Mountains that was closed during the pandemic has reopened its doors and has been listed for commercial sale following a multi-million renovation.

Macau’s Statistics and Census Service said the SAR saw a total of 5,700,339 visitor arrivals in 2022, down 26% year on year. Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced a Hyatt affiliate entered into a management agreement with a Mori Building affiliate for Hotel Toranomon Hills. The Rydges Melbourne is undergoing a complete transformation and will re-open in Autumn 2023, positioned as a flagship property for the group.

STR reported China hotel RevPAR rose 6.9% year over year the week ended January 7. RevPAR, when compared to the same week in 2019, was down -39.6%. While the Macao Government Tourism Office is predicting visitor arrivals of just 50,000 a day for Chinese New Year week, hotel room rates across Macau are said to be surging with standard rooms now regularly priced above HK$8,000. Colliers International said they are expecting hotels in the Philippines will complete some 3,900 rooms, a record high for developers , as they anticipate the projected recovery in global travel in 2023.

STR said China hotel RevPAR the week ended 12/24  was down -21.9% year over year and down -38.9% versus the same week in 2019. Marriott International said its transformation of the Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand  continues to build momentum across the globe. TFE Hotels  will launch into 2023,  opening three new-build hotels  in the first half. The  Adina Apartment Hotel Pentridge Melbourne  will open in Australia in February.

STR reported Sydney’s hotel industry recorded its highest performance levels of the pandemic-era. Chinese aviation data company VariFlight said domestic flight activity jumped to around 65% of pre-pandemic levels in China yesterday. OYO announced a new program ranking hotels that provide consistent and high-quality customer experience .

Thailand celebrated the arrival of its 10 millionth international visitor of 2022 on Saturday, according to the tourism authority. Accor signed its first multiple-property framework agreement with Asset World Corporation , Thailand’s leading integrated lifestyle real estate group. Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced Hyatt Place Chengdu Bio-Town, the second Hyatt Place hotel in Chengdu .

STR reported Melbourne, Australia’s hotel performance reached a pandemic era high, according to preliminary October 2022 data from STR. JP Morgan issued a report projecting that airline travel in the Asia Pacific region will hit two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. Indies Capital Partners announced the acquisition of a 60% stake in PT Swiss-Belhotel International Indonesia and PT Zest Hotels International Indonesia from Ciputra Group Indonesia.

STR reported China hotel RevPAR for the week ended 11/5 was up 4.4% year over year. China’s Covid cases continue to surge with 8,824 new domestic cases reported on Wednesday. The state-run Xinhua news agency said authorities need to take a more targeted approach to tackling Covid outbreaks. Ratings agency Icra said they expect premium hotel inventory in India to increase 3.5% to 4% in the current fiscal year with an addition of around 15,500 rooms amid a recovery in demand.