Following on extremely positive economic forecasts for the Asia Pacific region, global hotelier Carlson Hotels Worldwide has said it plans to add…
Following on extremely positive economic forecasts for the Asia Pacific region, global hotelier Carlson Hotels Worldwide has said it plans to add 15 hotels to its Asia Pacific portfolio by early 2006.
Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific, the Singapore-based regional operation for Carlson Hotels Worldwide, plans to aggressively increase the number of hotels across its five brands with Regent International leading the way.
Most recently, the company has announced three strategically located Regent hotels in Beijing, Shanghai and Ningbo.
Currently Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific manages 43 hotels across 11 countries. With an additional 15 signed hotel management agreements in place, this number will increase to 58 hotels and more than 11,000 rooms by early 2006. In China, Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific has five hotels, a number predicted to double within the next 12 to 18 months.
The president and managing director, Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific, Paul Kirwin, said the signed hotel management agreements included nine hotels in India, four in China, and one in Thailand and Bangladesh respectively. As China and India are two of the world`s fastest growing economies, this is where the company sees most growth potential.
The Economist Intelligent Unit Report for 2004 forecasts Asia Pacific as the fastest growing region in the world, with 50% growth in population and GDP over the next five years. In China alone, the annual growth is around 8-10% per annum, and the World Trade Organisation predicts it will become the world`s largest travel market by 2020.
Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific has the widespread resources to tap into this wealth of potential; we have a well-respected network of hotels, enormous expertise, strong financial backing from Carlson Hotels Worldwide, and offices in Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, and New Delhi, Mr Kirwin said.
Regent International Hotels began in Hong Kong more than 30-years ago and has since set the standard of service for the Asian hospitality industry. Today, the new generation of Regent hotels is expanding quickly, with China leading the growth, Mr. Kirwin added.
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