IHG Motels & Resorts (IHG) upholds its “in China, for China” dedication. With a number one place within the business, IHG anticipates tendencies within the tourism market and visitor wants. Lately, IHG concluded its “Dream Greater, Journey Greater” 2024 Higher China Expo Roadshow in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. This initiative additional bolsters the revival of the enterprise journey market and showcases IHG’s strong growth throughout Higher China area.
A Progress Journey Constructed on a Basis of Trade Excellence
Since its entry into Higher China market 49 years in the past, IHG has constantly prioritized excessive significance on the event of Higher China. As of December 31, 2023, IHG has over 1,200 resorts open or within the pipeline in Higher China, totalling practically 180,000 rooms. With intensive expertise within the Chinese language enterprise journey market, IHG has established eight gross sales facilities throughout Higher China, enhancing procurement companies’ effectivity for purchasers and bolstering the expansion of the enterprise journey channel. IHG One Rewards, one of many world’s largest resort loyalty applications, now boasts over 130 million members, reaching a historic excessive.
With excessive recognition from each homeowners and visitors, IHG has considerably accelerated its resort growth charge, lowering the time to open 100 resorts from 24 years to only 18 months. Earlier this 12 months, IHG celebrated the milestone of opening its 700th resort in Higher China, symbolizing a considerable development. Whereas IHG has centered on improvement and product innovation in top-tier cities, the group can also be exploring untapped potential in rising markets. By the top of 2023, roughly three-quarters of IHG’s whole room stock was in second to fourth-tier cities, and over 90% of room stock within the pipeline – highlighting IHG’s sustained development momentum and developmental prospects.
Strategic Initiatives Align with Home Market Developments
On this 12 months’s China Authorities Work Report of the Two Periods, there was reiterated emphasis on implementing insurance policies to foster digital and inexperienced consumption, amongst different initiatives geared toward spurring financial development. Moreover, tradition and leisure tourism have been recognized as pivotal sectors for nurturing and increasing progressive types of consumption. The China Tourism Academy has additionally highlighted 2024 as a big 12 months for China’s tourism and financial improvement. In opposition to this backdrop of beneficial macroeconomic situations and market demand, the emergence of the 2024 Higher China Expo Roadshow is well timed. On the Expo, IHG introduced a various vary of cubicles permitting contributors to realize a deeper understanding of the progressive companies and inexperienced environmental initiatives supplied by the corporate. The occasion facilitated in-depth communication with enterprise journey visitors, companions, and homeowners, underscoring IHG’s dedication to formulating high-quality improvement methods that align with the evolving tendencies within the Chinese language tourism market.
One-Cease Enterprise Journey Administration Answer
Ms. Rita Jiang, Vice President of Industrial, IHG Higher China, mentioned: “The Chinese language resort and tourism market is experiencing a speedy rebound, particularly within the enterprise journey sector, which has entered a sturdy restoration section characterised by various tendencies and a noticeable uptick in rising markets. IHG is strategically leveraging the strengths of our model matrix and wealthy product choices to determine a distinguished presence within the enterprise journey market. Moreover, we’re actively collaborating with companions to advertise high-quality enterprise journey improvement.”
- Enhancing Value Effectivity by way of Platform Consolidation and Technological Integration: IHG seamlessly integrates its choices with Journey Administration Corporations (TMC), establishing direct connections that present complete enterprise journey options. The “IHG Company Journey Portal” WeChat mini-program repeatedly evolves to satisfy the calls for of company occasions and on-line conferences, effectively addressing the wants of company purchasers for reserving enterprise journeys. Moreover, IHG gives numerous digital options, together with world journey reductions and diversified loyalty rewards, whereas partaking with enterprise visitors on-line. Catering to a brand new era of enterprise visitors, IHG has launched IHG Studio 2.0, enhancing visitor experiences whereas rising value effectivity for homeowners.
- Embracing ESG: With a rising give attention to inexperienced and low-carbon options for enterprise visitors, IHG has built-in its dedication to sustainable improvement into each aspect of the visitor expertise. IHG has launched the “Assembly for Good” program at its resorts, offering tips for internet hosting sustainable conferences and occasions. These tips embrace eliminating single-use gadgets, lowering meals waste, and implementing energy-saving methods. In partnership with Ant Forest, IHG additional advocates environmental safety consciousness and encourages low-carbon lodging thereby fostering “Accountable Journey.”
- Abroad Enterprise Journey Options: As home and worldwide insurance policies have spurred abroad growth, there was a surge in demand for enterprise journey, rising the necessity for company journey administration. As one of many world’s main worldwide resort teams, IHG boasts over 6,300 resorts throughout greater than 100 nations and areas, with a further 2,000 properties within the pipeline. Utilising its intensive world community, IHG collaborates with TMC each domestically and internationally to handle challenges confronted by company purchasers in abroad enterprise journey markets. Moreover, IHG has launched abroad resort show options on the “IHG Company Journey Portal” WeChat mini-program, optimising the worldwide enterprise journey reserving expertise.
Unlocking Greater Returns with a Sturdy Useful resource Engine
Throughout this 12 months’s proprietor’s roadshows, IHG signed contracts for twenty-four new resort tasks, encompassing each Important and Premium manufacturers similar to Vacation Inn Categorical, Vacation Inn Motels & Resorts, and EVEN Motels. These tasks mark IHG’s debut in some new areas and symbolize continued growth in different key markets.
Mr. Kent Solar, Chief Growth Officer of IHG Higher China, mentioned: “As one of the crucial attuned worldwide resort administration teams, IHG collaborates with homeowners to repeatedly develop merchandise that meet the wants of the market and its shoppers. With distinctive model options and versatile partnership fashions, now we have achieved new development and breakthroughs whereas working with homeowners to attain a steady and mutually helpful long-term funding resolution.”
- Empowerment by way of Numerous Funding Fashions: Pushed by the twin engines of managed and franchised property fashions, IHG has achieved excellent business development within the Higher China market. The “Franchise+” mannequin, tailor-made for Chinese language homeowners, offers complete funding help whereas successfully controlling prices. At the moment, IHG has expanded its franchise mannequin to incorporate Vacation Inn Motels & Resorts, Vacation Inn Categorical, Crowne Plaza Motels & Resorts, EVEN Motels, and voco resorts. Remarkably, the voco model has seen exceptional development since its introduction in Nice China in 2020, with greater than 20 open resorts within the pipeline.
- Revamped Merchandise: IHG is devoted to ongoing product innovation, constructing on the legacy of its high quality merchandise whereas staying true to its model essence. In late 2022, IHG launched the Vacation Inn Categorical 3.0, revitalizing the model’s ‘easy and good journey experiences’ for visitors. Particularly tailor-made for the Chinese language market, HUALUXE Motels & Resorts just lately launched its upgraded model 2.0. The inaugural property, HUALUXE Shenzhen Bao’an, will quickly open its doorways, inviting a brand new era of shoppers to immerse themselves within the essence of Chinese language aesthetic existence. The twin-period multifunctional facility format distinctive to the voco Motels enhances resort effectivity, meets various client situations, and brings new concepts for resort operations and income enhancement. Moreover, a very new Vacation Inn Motels & Resorts room design and price construction are about to be launched, additional strengthening the model’s aggressive benefit in funding prices within the business, with the hope of making extra lovely recollections with visitors.
Regularly Fostering Expertise Growth
As one of many largest employers within the world resort business, IHG adheres to the mission of “True Hospitality for Good,” repeatedly attracting and nurturing skills that align with the group’s values and behavior tips. IHG creates a various, equal, and inclusive working atmosphere that enhances worker well-being. The group promotes expertise improvement inside the business by way of a number of avenues, addressing the expertise scarcity disaster, enhancing workers effectivity, safeguarding enterprise journey companies, and driving the business in the direction of increased requirements.
