A manager at an ibis hotel in Zhangjiajie says that going to work these days feels a little like “walking into the United Nations.”
Guests from Russia, the US, Kazakhstan and South Korea, along with visitors from European and Central Asian countries whose names she sometimes cannot immediately recall, arrive at the front desk one after another, luggage in tow.
She says the hotel is well located, just a short walk from the entrance to the scenic area. The property only opened at the end of March, yet foreign guests already account for nearly half of its clientele.
In the past, when people thought of foreign tourists in Zhangjiajie, Korean tour groups were often the first thing that came to mind. But at her hotel, most foreign guests are independent travelers. Russian tourists have been particularly numerous recently, often staying for three to five nights.
At another ibis property in Beijing near Tiananmen Square, a hotel manager says the property, which has been open for nearly three years, saw foreign guests account for as much as 60% to 70% of its clientele in the second quarter. The hotel has even added more sweet pastries and other breakfast items popular with international guests.
Meanwhile, things that Chinese travelers have long taken for granted — robot delivery services, self-service facilities, mobile payments, free laundry, and even the speed of breakfast and front-desk service — can feel novel to foreign visitors. Some even take photos and share these experiences online.
After two years of the “China Travel” boom, “China Hotel” is becoming another way for foreign tourists to experience China.
In recent years, amid geopolitical turmoil and a slowing global economy, foreign independent travelers have become increasingly price-conscious when booking hotels.
Beyond major tourist destinations such as Beijing and Zhangjiajie, hotels in cities with strong international trade links and those near airports are also seeing more inbound guests. Xiamen, for example, has a particularly strong flow of visitors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, while some cities such as Weihai, close to Japan and South Korea, have also seen a sharp increase in inbound travelers.
When foreign tourists stay at hotels in Beijing, Zhangjiajie or Xiamen, they encounter the service efficiency, digital experiences and increasingly sophisticated mass-market accommodation products that China’s hotel industry has spent years developing.
Without necessarily realizing it, these experiences are reshaping how foreign visitors see China’s hotels.
