Marriott International, Inc. has recently announced it has reached the milestone figure of 250 open and signed hotels in Asia, with the 250th hotel to be located in Bo’ao in China. This represents 129 open hotels plus our development pipeline of 121 projects – totalling more than 75,000 rooms in 15 countries.While Asia continues to deliver robust growth, China remains the strongest driver and Marriott International has ambitious plans in the country. With the portfolio expected to double from the current 58 open hotels in the next 3-4 years, Marriott will increase its work force to well over 70,000 associates over the same time period.
Marriott has been a tireless advocate for removing the barriers to travel through its membership in the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and World Economic Forum’s Aviation, Travel and Tourism Council. A primary focus has been on new models of mobility, such as the e-visa and reciprocity among nations to make travel easier. The company is also training its associates and teams outside of China to welcome and host Chinese travellers.
Chinese outbound traveller numbers to the US have risen from about 225,000 in 2002 to almost a million in 2011, and with that number is forecast to increase an astonishing 274% by 2016. China represents the fastest growth – by far – of any country, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Through its participation on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, Marriott has helped drive a new national tourism strategy, announced last week, to boost international visitors to the United States to 100 million people annually by 2021. Similarly, U.S. Visitation to Asia is expected to increase by similar numbers.
