Hospitality group Accor plans to nearly double the number of hotels in China with a target of 1,600 hotels over the next five to six years, compared to more than 830 hotels currently.
At its press conference on Tuesday, it detailed its development strategy, marked by the announcement of new luxury hotel projects and the strengthening of key partnerships.
Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor stated: "Today, China is not only one of the world's largest outbound source markets but also a premier destination dreamed of by global travelers.”
Since the beginning of this year, Accor's inbound tourism activity in the Chinese mainland has achieved 46 percent year-on-year growth, with outstanding performance particularly from three major source markets: Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe.
“We remain highly confident in the long-term outlook of China's tourism industry, which we believe will continue to serve as a key engine of global tourism growth while helping shape the future of travel,” he added.
Kent Zhu, CEO of Accor China said it will continue close collaboration with owners and partners to deeply blend our global brand strengths with rich local cultural characteristics, crafting more hospitality destinations that offer both a global perspective and local authenticity for the Chinese market.
Accor and Jin Jiang International signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement for a Luxury Hotel Project in Shanghai. Meanwhile, multiple luxury and premium hotel projects were collectively signed, spanning Northern China, the Yangtze River Delta, and key western markets. The signed properties include: Fairmont Hangzhou Huagang, Sofitel Xi'an Chanba, Swissôtel Hangzhou Westlake, MGallery Collection Pujiang, MGallery Collection Hangzhou Jianghehui, and Pullman Shanghai Qilu, alongside an additional intention to collaborate on a new project in Sichuan Wolong.
Accor has built a highly diversified and robust luxury brand matrix in the Chinese market, featuring world-class names such as Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery, and Swissôtel, and more than 40 luxury hotel projects are currently under active development.
