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Asia-Pacific
Indians Cancelled 8,000 Bookings to Maldives
India has now slipped to the fifth position for tourist arrivals into Maldives in January, with just over 13,000 visitors. This is per the latest data from the Maldives tourism industry and is quite different than the commentary last week from the Maldives. -
Asia-Pacific
Taiwan to Get 5 New Luxury Hotels This Year
Taiwan’s travel industry expects inbound tourism to recover, with five new luxury hotels opening this first half of 2024. -
Asia-Pacific
Indian Hotels Company Signed 32 New Hotels in 2023
In 2023, the Taj brand strengthened its presence in key metro and commercial cities, including Delhi, Cochin, Dhaka, and Bhutan. Vivanta and SeleQtions collectively added 17 hotels while Ginger signed agreements for six new hotels. -
Asia-Pacific
Chinese Outbound Travel Expected to Surge to Visa-Free Destinations
China’s outbound travel bookings for the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays have surged more than 10 times compared to the previous year. -
Asia-Pacific
$750 Million Expansion of Las Vegas Sands’ Marina Bay Sands in Singapore
Las Vegas Sands’ Marina Bay Sands in Singapore’s expansion plans received another increase. Marina Bay Sands said they launched the second phase of its significant reinvestment program. -
Asia-Pacific
Nomura Predicts Chinese Tourism Level for 2024
Nomura reports that China’s outbound tourism faces significant recovery challenges through 2024-2025, due to eased supply constraints but hampered by economic issues and reduced consumer demand, with a forecasted recovery to 73% of 2019’s travel levels by year-end. -
Asia-Pacific
Ascott to Add 8 Lyf-Branded Properties
CapitaLand Investment’s the Ascott Limited, is adding eight new properties to its lyf brand portfolio. The additions mark Ascott’s expansion into various global city and resort destinations including Bali, Penang, and Sydney. -
Asia-Pacific
Maldives Hotel Bookings Are Victims of Social Media Spat
China’s hotel RevPAR surged 56.1% year-over-year for the week ending December 30th, showing a significant recovery compared to the previous year’s decline. The Maldives experienced a backlash from Indian tourists, with a significant number of hotel booking and flight ticket cancellations, following offensive comments by Maldivian politicians against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Major hotel groups are announcing new projects and expansions, such as Accor’s partnership to launch Grande Mercure Jaipur Kukas in India, and Oberoi Group’s legal setback in Himachal Pradesh. -
Asia-Pacific
Regal Hotels’ $5 Billion Venture with Saudi Arabia
Malaysia led Southeast Asia in foreign tourist arrivals in 2023 with 26 million visitors, followed by Thailand with 24.6 million. Vietnam attracted 12.6 million foreign tourists, reaching only 70% of pre-pandemic levels, while Cambodia’s recovery rate was at 92.48%. Vietnam’s National Authority of Tourism set ambitious goals for 2024, aiming to match pre-pandemic tourism levels despite past challenges. The Philippines exceeded its 2023 tourism target, welcoming over five million international tourists and surpassing pre-pandemic international tourism revenue. Dusit Hotels and Resorts opened Dusit Princess Phatthalung in Thailand, its first in the far south of the country. Regal Hotels International announced a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment to build about 100 hotels globally, with a significant focus on the Middle East. -
Asia-Pacific
IHG’s Holiday Inn Resorts and Express Surpasses Milestones
Wharf Holdings is planning to open 25 Maqo hotels by 2025 and is discussing expansions in China, Japan, and Thailand. IHG is introducing a new Holiday Inn Resort in Maharashtra, India, for 2027 and announced significant growth of their Holiday Inn Express brand in Greater China. ONYX Hospitality Group is expanding its Shama serviced apartment brand with five new properties across Asia, including locations in China, Malaysia, and Thailand.