Starwood to double China hotels on tourism
(Bloomberg)
Updated: 2006-09-26 14:31
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc, the third largest US hotel
operator, plans to almost double its properties in Greater China in the next
four years as the region attracts more tourists from overseas.
The company aims to have 100 hotels in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan
by 2010, from 57 now. Starwood Asia-Pacific vice-president Qian Jin said at a
press conference in Shanghai Monday that of the current number, 27 were under
construction.
The operator of Westin and Sheraton hotels is expanding in Asia, where
international tourist visitors are growing at more than twice the pace of that
to the United States or Europe. Rising incomes and economic growth in China are
also supporting domestic leisure and business tourism in the world's fastest
growing major economy.
"We have seen double-digit growth in China sales and we expect this market to
grow by that rate in the coming years,'' Qian said, without giving sales
figures.
The number of international tourist visits to Asia rose 7.5 percent in the
first four months this year, against 2.7 percent for North America and 2.5
percent for Europe, according to the World Tourism Organisation. Visitor
arrivals in China rose 10 percent last year, data from the China National
Tourism Administration show. (For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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