China will make up almost 90% of Asia Pacific’s duty-free sales by 2027
>> Domestic duty-free sales in the Asia Pacific region are forecast to reach $81 billion by 2027, with the vast bulk of them coming from China, according to a new report from market research provider Euromonitor International. China will dominate the Asia Pacific region, accounting for 87% of the total within a few years, while Australia, South Korea, and India top the list of the highest-spending destinations per arrival when it comes to inbound duty-free shopping.
Tencent’s WeChat Pay to accept Visa cards to help foreign tourists survive in cashless China
>> Foreign tourists may find it easier to pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and attraction tickets in China’s cashless society from July, as Tencent Holdings begins to facilitate payments by Visa and other international bank cards through WeChat Pay, following a similar move by Ant Group’s Alipay.
China enjoys huge potential in senior tourism market
>> Seniors are one of the most active groups in China's tourism industry today. According to the China Tourism Academy, there will be over 100 million healthy young-old travelers in China who travel frequently and are willing to spend money on their tours by the end of 2025, and the silver tourism market is expected to hit a trillion yuan ($138.18 billion) by then.
Diaoyutai MGM opens two hotels in Qingdao, China
>> Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality Ltd, a joint venture between China’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and United States-based casino operator MGM Resorts International, has expanded its presence on the Chinese mainland with the June 10 launch of two branded hotels in the Laoshan district of Qingdao city, in the eastern province of Shandong, noted corporate press releases.
Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality said in its updates on Qingdao it would launch more hotels on the Chinese mainland. It mentioned Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai, all in Guangdong province which is next door to Macau; as well as Lingshui, on the southern island of Hainan; and Wuhan in Hubei province, central China.
Macau 5-star hotel room rate in May at 90% of 2019 levels
>> The average daily rate for a five-star hotel room in Macau was USD 183.8 in May, show data compiled by the Macau Hotel Association. That was 90.0% of the rate in May 2019. The city’s five-star hotels had an average occupancy rate of 85.1% in May, up 49.8% year-on-year, but down from the 92.4% occupancy achieved in May 2019. Many of Macau’s large casino resorts have five-star hotels.
China Southern Airlines resumes mainland-New Zealand flights
>> China Southern Airlines said it plans to resume its flight that connects Guangzhou, Guangdong province and Christchurch, New Zealand in November to meet the growing travel demand between the two countries after the COVID-19 pandemic.Meanwhile, in November, Guangzhou-based China Southern plans to add three more weekly flights that connect Guangzhou and Auckland in New Zealand.
Airbus delivers China-assembled aircraft to European airline for the first time
>> Airbus has for the first time delivered to a European customer an aircraft assembled in Tianjin, northern China, marking a significant milestone in its global supply chain. The delivery ceremony for the A321neo to Hungarian airline Wizz Air took place on Tuesday.
