China’s gambling hub opens $2 billion resort with a giant copy of London’s Big Ben
The Londoner Macao, a British-themed luxury casino resort in the Chinese gambling hub, held its grand opening ceremony on Thursday. And English football celebrity David Beckham was there to grace the event. The Chinese gambling city has added yet another luxury casino resort along Cotai Strip, a term that Las Vegas Sands uses to refer to an alley lined with hotel casinos, shopping centers and theaters.
Thailand's top hotel group expects more Chinese tourists to return in Q3, Q4
William Ellwood Heinecke, founder & chairman of Thailand's top hotel group Minor International, said he expects more Chinese tourists to return to the Southeast Asian country in the second half of 2023. The company's business will then get back close to the 2019 levels, according to Mr. Heinecke.
Record tourist numbers attract Chinese investment in Greek islands
Eyeing an opportunity, China's Fosun Tourism Group has acquired its latest hotels on the Greek island of Corfu, hoping for another record-breaking summer tourism season. Corfu is one of the largest islands in Greece and a popular holiday destination. Every year over a million holidaymakers travel here. Among the winding streets and medieval castles is where the Chinese group purchased its latest luxury 5-star hotel under the brand Cook's Club.
China Eastern set to operate C919's first commercial flight on Sunday
China Eastern Airlines, the initial customer for the country's homegrown narrow-body jet C919, will launch the plane's first commercial flight on Sunday. The commercial operation of the C919 marks a milestone in the country's hopes that the plane will break the longtime Airbus-Boeing duopoly in the world's airline manufacturing industry.
China Southern Airlines begins building new $341 million Shenzhen base
China Southern Airlines has begun construction on its new base in Shenzhen. The city in South China's Guangdong Province borders the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, making the region ideal for onward ground transportation options. Total investment in the project is forecasted to reach RMB 2.4 billion (USD 341 million) over the next five years.
Meituan posts a record adjusted net profit of $778.3 million in Q1
Online hotel and lifestyle service company Meituan reported that its revenues increased by 26.7% to RMB 58.6 billion (USD 8.3 billion) in the first quarter of 2023. The adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net profit were RMB 6.3 billion (USD 891.5 million) and RMB 5.5 billion (USD 778.3 million) for this quarter respectively, reaching the company’s highest level. Room nights during the Chinese New Year holiday increased by over 40% compared to the same periods of 2022 and 2019.
Tencent-backed travel firm posts more than 50% rise in Q1 revenue
Tongcheng Travel, a Hong Kong-listed online travel company jointly invested by Tencent and Trip.com Group, said its first-quarter revenue rose more than 50% to RMB 2,586 million (USD 366.9 million). Some 80% of its average MAUs were contributed by Tencent's Weixin mini program.
Hong Kong’s tourism chief has urged lawmakers to “have faith in Disneyland”, brushing aside calls for the city to stop subsidizing the loss-making theme park as he acknowledged its positive impact on the local economy and youth development.
Hong Kong Disneyland’s financial situation had improved in recent years with net loss shrinking to HK$2.1 billion (US$268 million) in 2022, a 12% drop from the year before, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Monday said.
Cathay Pacific fires staff over clip about non-English speakers
Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific has fired three flight attendants who drew the ire of Chinese state media after being accused of discriminating against non-English speakers. Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Ronald Lam said the employees were sacked after an internal investigation into a complaint by a passenger.
China's outbound travel visa applications surge, driven by pent-up demand
Chinese travelers' enthusiasm for outbound trips, pent up for about three years, has been unleashed with a surge in visa applications lately, the Global Times has learned. In Shanghai, visa applications for temporary entry to the US for business or tourism have been booked until October, while the earliest available date for French visa application is in August, travel agencies told the Global Times.
