As China’s outbound tourism is showing explosive growth totaling more than 100 million trips last year to pass up the US as the world’ s top outbound market, international hotel chains change their tactics to capture the Chinese market.
“Many young Chinese corporate travelers are making their first trips abroad for work. So these initial experiences will help them form a certain degree of brand loyalty and make them feel an individual connection to brands. We have found young Chinese corporate travelers to be keen on combining work with leisure on their trips,” Ritz Carlton’s vice president for global marketing Lisa Holladay said.
The number of Chinese travelers combining vacation with business travel rose by 2% in between 2013 to 2014, to 22%, according to a Hotels.com report, which also points out that 35% of corporate travelers are under 35 years old, against 30% of leisure travelers, and the former have a penchant for luxury hotels.
Ms. Holladay said: “Many Chinese travelers see the hotel they stay in as a symbol of career status. So naturally they choose the most luxurious hotel brands possible.”
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is also making Asia the focus of its global development and has appointed former Shanghai Disney Resort president Michael A. Crawford as Asia-Pacific regional president last year. Of the eight hotels Four Seasons Hotels has in China, four were opened after 2012.(Translation by David)
