2023.08.08
HANGZHOU, August 7, 2023 – Leading stakeholders from the Chinese hotel industry converged at the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) headquarters in Hangzhou to discuss pivotal developments and chart the future path for the sector. The Chinese Hotel Industry Development Symposium saw the attendance of illustrious figures, including LIU Shijun, Vice Chair and Secretary-General of the WTA, WANG Jianping, President of the Zhejiang Hotel Association, MA Jie, Deputy President and Secretary-General of the Shandong Tourist Hotel Association, CHEN Fujiao, Deputy President and Secretary-General of the Hunan Tourist Hotel Association, YANG Yanping, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Tourism Trade Association Hotel Branch, CHEN Qian, Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Hotel Association, and ZHU Wei, Secretary-General of the Suzhou City Tourist Hotel Association.
Mr. LIU Shijun extended a formal welcome to the representatives from the various provincial and city hotel associations, elucidating the WTA’s commendable strides over the past five years in pivotal areas such as brand development, member expansion, and the noble endeavor of tourism-fueled poverty reduction. He accentuated the quintessential role of the hotel industry as a fundamental pillar of the broader tourism ecosystem. He expressed, “The World Tourism Alliance remains resolutely committed to amplifying its collaborative initiatives with hotel industry associations on an array of fronts, encompassing information dissemination, intricate market analyses, and robust brand enhancement. It is our collective vision to harness the unifying power of tourism to galvanize the methodical revitalization of the hotel sector.”
Mr. WANG Jianping provided a comprehensive analysis of the challenges currently faced by the hotel industry, emphasizing a significant gap in product diversity and discernible imbalances in the supply-demand balance. He underscored that the contemporary product offerings occasionally falter in catering to the refined and bespoke requisites of today’s consumers. Moreover, Wang drew attention to critical systemic contradictions, such as the commercial nature of the industry contrast with societal resource demands and the labor-intensive model set against service quality. He voiced expectations for tighter collaboration between the hotel associations and the WTA, emphasizing joint efforts to pave the way for a thriving tourism and hotel industry.
Representatives from hotel associations in regions including Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hunan, and Suzhou shared insights on the contemporaneous dynamics of their respective markets. They discussed pain points faced during industry growth and shared suggestions, reaching a collective sentiment that the Chinese hotel industry is on the brink of an unprecedented new phase of development. To thrive, industry managers must deeply understand consumer needs, sharpen brand positioning, and prioritize talent acquisition and development. Moreover, industry associations should proactively establish communication platforms to lead industry trends, and governmental agencies were urged to provide more accurate and forceful support policies to collectively drive the high-quality sustainable development of China’s hotel sector.