Abu Dhabi

Industry forecasts suggest India's hotel occupancy will reach 70% this year, with room rates set to to cross the INR 10,000 mark in 2026.

Global travel and tourism sector deals declined by 4.3% in 2024, with private equity deals rising, M&A deals slightly increasing, and venture financing deals dropping, while Europe saw growth and other regions faced declines.

The Rosewood Hotel Group is set to expand its global presence and enhance its portfolio, which currently includes 48 properties across 23 countries, with new openings in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the Americas, alongside growing its residential business.

Bloomberry Resorts ' new integrated resort in Quezon City , Philippines, Solaire Resort North, is facing further delays, potentially pushing the opening from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter. Philippines developer Megaworld is set to open the country's largest hotel complex, Grand Westside Hotel, in Manila's Entertainment City, with the first tower opening before the end of the year and the second tower in 2024. Discovery World Corp has opened a five-star resort hotel, Discovery Samal, in Limao, Philippines, featuring 128 hotel suites and extensive facilities, aiming to boost tourist arrivals in the region.

Airbnb hit a new 52-week high on the stock market, Soho House rose 9%, and Sonder was up 6%. Long-term licensing agreement for MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, encompassing 17 MGM resorts, and loyalty marketing agreement with BetMGM. The City of London plans to convert empty offices into hotels to revitalize the area, attract tourists, and address the growing demand for serviced accommodations in London.

Chinese domestic tourism rebounds strongly, reaching 119% of pre-pandemic levels during the May Day holiday, while international travel remains slow. Fitch Ratings highlights the encouraging recovery trajectory of the domestic tourism industry, driven by pent-up demand and limited outbound flight options. Despite the increase in domestic trips, spending remains nearly flat due to factors such as low-income travelers, visits to lower-tier cities, and short-distance trips.

Nepal hotels are complaining they are not seeing the deluge of reservations they would expect at this time of year. Asset World Public Company Limited signed a hotel management agreement with IHG to launch the Kimpton Pattaya and further demonstrate confidence in Thailand’s tourism industry. ANA Holdings and IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan signed a comprehensive commercial agreement.

STR reported China hotel RevPAR for the week ended December 3. RevPAR was down -2.6% on a year-over-year basis while down -40.2% against the same week in 2019. More reports are coming out about China’s decision to roll back Covid-Zero rules . The latest STR report, commissioned by Arabian Travel Market, conducted at the end of September 2022, suggests the GCC region now has over 170,000 hotel rooms under active development.

Chinese authorities signaled a move to ease international travel requirements, just a couple of days after President Xi reiterated his Zero-Covid policy. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Sun Hung Kai Properties announced plans for a new Four Seasons hotel in historic Suzhou, China . Marriott International’s Ritz-Carlton brand announced the Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne will open its doors in the first quarter of 2023.

Hotel RevPAR in China was down -35.5% year over year while down -52.5% when up against the same week in 2019. Hyatt Hotels announced the opening of Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu , marking the debut of the lifestyle brand in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Absolute Hotel Services Group announced the first Absolute Collection property in Vietnam with the signing of Lamia Bao Loc Resort.