Visa-free travel, rising foreign visitors boost luxury hotel growth in China
China’s luxury hotels thrive as visa-free policies drive international tourism, with Shanghai and Beijing seeing significant growth in high-end stays
Even spending at their usual levels, they would generate considerable revenue for Chinese businesses, according to Yong Chen, an associate professor at EHL Hospitality Business School in Switzerland.
At the Peninsula Shanghai, for example, cancellations by guests from Gulf states due to limited flight capacity had been offset by an increase in luxury travellers from other countries visiting China under the visa-free policies, the group said.
“Shanghai has shown significant growth in international visitors, and Beijing is seeing a strong trend in diplomatic, business and returning leisure travellers,” said Benjamin Vuchot, CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels.
At The Peninsula Beijing, the guest mix is now evenly split between domestic and international travellers. The group said it was seeing a healthy combination of high-level business delegations and returning leisure visitors from the US, the United Kingdom, Australia and Mexico.