Hilton expedites expansion in China with long-term market optimism

Global hospitality giant Hilton is ramping up expansion efforts in China, aiming to tap into the vast and diverse travel demands of its largest overseas market.

The US-based company saw the milestone opening of its 700th hotel in Greater China last Friday, marking the fifth year of launching more than 100 hotels annually in the vibrant hospitality market.

"We are opening one hotel in Greater China in less than three days," Qian Jin, president of Hilton Greater China and Mongolia, told Xinhua in an interview.

The opening pace so far this year has been faster than that of previous years, Qian added. "This is a testament to our commitment to consolidating our presence in the Chinese market."

Qian likened the fast clip of Hilton's development in China to the country's accelerating speed of bullet trains, and attributed the company's sprawling local network to confidence in "the vitality and resilience of China's travel market."

Official data showed that in the first half of the year (H1), the number of domestic tourist trips in China reached 2.725 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.3 percent. Meanwhile, the total expenditure of domestic tourists amounted to 2.73 trillion yuan (about 382 billion US dollars), up 19 percent over the same period in 2023.

Moreover, the country welcomed over 14.6 million foreign visitors in H1, a remarkable 152.7 percent surge from the previous year, thanks to various measures facilitating inbound travel.

Qian highlighted Hilton's longstanding relationship with China's tourism and hospitality industry, which has spanned more than three decades since the opening of their first Chinese mainland hotel in Shanghai in 1988.

With a presence in more than 240 destinations across the country, Hilton's 10 distinct brands seek to cater to the diverse travel demands of customers in China. In H1, the company's expansion introduced Hilton brands to 25 new locations across Greater China.

Conrad Chongqing, Hilton's 700th hotel, marks the debut of the luxury hotel brand Conrad in the western inland city. Inspired by the western Chinese city's mountainous terrain, the high-rise luxury hotel seeks to highlight the concept of "Oriental Floating City" which blends local nature and culture with contemporary design.

"Chongqing's distinctive allure and cultural depth, combined with its role as a key hub in western China, make it an ideal location for this new Conrad property," said Qian.

The Chongqing hotel further expanded the company's presence in west China. Given its unique cultural and tourism resources and improving infrastructure, Qian said that the country's vast western region boasts huge potential for expanding and upgrading hospitality facilities and services.

To seize the emerging opportunities in the region, an operation team dedicated to Hilton's business development and management in west China has been set up, according to Qian.

In addition to strategic adjustments in regional development, Hilton is also keeping up with the shifting hotel-stay preferences in China. "The popularity of specific lifestyle experiences is gaining traction," Qian observed.

Qian also pointed out that the prevalence of digitalization in hotel services is another highlight of the Chinese hospitality market. "A strong digital service system will further sharpen our observation of customer preferences to make changes accordingly."

While China's consumption is rebounding at a faster pace, domestic demand still lags behind pre-pandemic levels, according to Chinese officials.

China remains a pivotal market for Hilton's strategic growth. At the 14th China-US Tourism Leadership Summit in May, Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, appreciated China's efforts to welcome back international travelers and expressed his confidence in the full return of China's travel industry.

"We believe the future here is bright, and we're investing in that future."

Qian reiterated the company's optimism over China's travel market in the long run.

"Positive factors are outweighing downbeat ones," Qian noted. "It's not impossible that we can open one hotel in two days in China in the future."