Marriott International yesterday announced it will add over 100 luxury hotels to Asia-Pacific in the near future, nearly doubling its regional portfolio of 113 hotels across eight luxury brands and accounting for half of its global growth in this sector.

China continues to contribute to around half of new hotels in the region with key cities such as Shanghai and Suzhou flagged for new properties, while emerging luxury destinations such as Tasmania and Sri Lanka are also on the cards, according to a Marriott statement.

Providing a snapshot of what’s to come at the ILTM conference, John Toomey, vice president, sales and distribution, Asia-Pacific, said a trio of Ritz-Carlton properties – in Langkawi (2017), Jiuzhaigou (3Q2017) and Koh Samui (2018) – will soon join the brand’s existing 24 in the region.

The Koh Samui property, to be the first Ritz-Carlton resort in Thailand, will feature 175 suites and pool villas, six dining experiences and two secluded beaches.

Marriott also plans to add four W Hotels to its Asia-Pacific portfolio of 10 in the next two years. The 374-key W Shanghai is set to open on June 30, followed by W Suzhou in August. Another two are expected to launch next year in Australia (Melbourne and Brisbane) as the first W Hotels in the country.

As well, JW Marriott will debut in the Maldives and India’s Jaipur this year, adding to the 32 hotels established under the JW Marriott flag in Asia-Pacific.

Now housing 27 hotels in Asia, Marriott’s selection of independent hotels, The Luxury Collection, is expected to make its first mark in Singapore this year. The Duxton Club will reside in two separate pre-war colonial heritage buildings – Duxton House and Duxton Terrace – within walking distance of each other.

Two hotels are expected to open under Marriott’s boutique Edition brand in the next 12 months, one in Bangkok and the other in Shanghai.

Bullish on the growth potential of luxury travel, Tooney said: “Luxury is no longer just for the few. We have 50 million luxury travellers in the world, (which is) set to grow another 50 per cent. This includes 200,000 HNWI expected to double over the next few years.

“Asian billionaires control more wealth than billionaires in North America and other regions around the world… and they’re spending on travel experiences, hotel accommodation and air tickets.”

Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing officer, Asia Pacific, added: “This region continues to see a growing number of HNWI, which combined with dynamic economic growth, has created a strong increase in demand for luxury hotel experiences.”

-reporting from ILTM Asia 2017

For a country that is strongly associated as a trekking destination, more efforts are needed to cultivate Nepal’s positioning beyond that of mountains and peaks if it is to reach its full tourism potential, said international buyers at last week’s Himalayan Travel Mart (HTM).

During HTM, the industry was given a glimpse into Nepal’s diversity that spans sprawling lowlands, national parks where Bengal tigers and rhinos can be spotted, dense forest and jungle with rare wildlife and vegetation, and more than 60 ethnic groups.

“For us, Nepal is the Himalayas. It is sold as an extension of a trip to India,” Veronica Sarmiento, manager of Spain’s Buscame Viajes, told TTG Asia. “Coming here has changed my perception. Nepal is definitely a stand-alone destination but not many know this. It can also be a fantastic spiritual trip.”

P Anand, founder and CEO of Bangalore-based OTA Beyonder Experiences, added until now Nepal remains off his radar, as mountaineering does not appeal to his target market of 30- to 45-year-olds.

He added: “I now realise Nepal is more than climbing Everest. It has lots of rich cultural experiences that appeal to my market. This needs to be promoted much more.”

Tour operators in Nepal are starting to realise the need to diversify products and widen the marketing net, with more safaris and cultural and spiritual tours being created and promoted.

Shiva Dhakal, managing director of Royal Mountain Travel, has spent the last two years developing a network of nine community homestays across Nepal, with another two set to open by this year-end.

He said: “There is much more to Nepal than the mountains – the culture, the people, their daily lives. This is what people want and this is what we have; we need to show this to the world.”

Niccolo and Marco Polo Hotels are now officially grouped together as Wharf Hotels under Wharf Hotels Management, the management company name for the Hong Kong-based hotel group.

The new name allows for “differentiated and defined strategies” to be developed for both brands, and is in line with Wharf Hotels’ vision to expand its hotel footprint in the Asia-Pacific. The naming convention for Niccolo and Marco Polo operating hotels will remain unchanged.

As well, Wharf Hotels will be a business entity for usage in corporate contracting, development, talent and other business-to-business platforms.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Wharf Hotels – a subsidiary of The Wharf (Holdings) – currently manages 14 hotels in China, Hong Kong and the Philippines under the Marco Polo Hotels and Niccolo Hotel brands.

Another four Niccolo-branded hotels are currently under development, which will bring the group’s portfolio to 18 hotels within the next 18 months.

Mandarin Oriental International is reviewing long-term strategic options for its iconic Excelsior hotel in Hong Kong.

Among the group’s 29 hotels and eight residences in 19 countries and territories, The Excelsior – a four-star waterfront hotel in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay District – is the only property that is not branded as Mandarin Oriental.

As part of this review, the hotel group said in a statement that “in light of the current strong commercial property valuations in Hong Kong, (the company) has decided to test market interest in the possible sale of the property”.

The property has approval for the development of a commercial building with a gross floor area of some 63,500m2 on the site, according to the company.

No decision has yet been made and it “would be premature to speculate on the outcome of the review at this time”, Mandarin Oriental stated.

ITB Berlin has linked arms with International Travel Week Abu Dhabi (ITW) to form a marketing alliance that consists of marketing and promotional activities.

Following its 2015 debut, ITW Abu Dhabi will take place for the second time at the ADNEC Exhibition Centre on November 25-26, 2017 for both trade and public visitors.

Specialising in the needs of the Muslim travel market, ITW Abu Dhabi features five tourism segments and conferences, including halal, medical, shopping, sports and family friendly tourism.

Wonderful Indonesia, the Indonesian NTO, will be the main sponsor for this year’s show, which is hosted by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority and Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau. The show will also feature a hosted buyer programme.

David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, said: “With its rapid growth and by specialising in halal tourism, an increasingly important segment, ITW Abu Dhabi is certain to become a major player in the global travel market. We greatly look forward to assisting our colleagues in the emirates with their marketing and promotional activities.”

Andy Buchanan, spokesman for ITW Abu Dhabi, added: “The partnership with the world’s most recognised travel trade show is a huge boost to the ambitions and potential of the event in Abu Dhabi.”

Vacation rental platform HomeAway has entered into a partnership with Setouchi Brand Corporation, part of the largest regional DMO in Japan, to drive inbound tourism to the Setouchi area, also known as the Seto Inland Sea.

As part of the collaboration, travellers can book their accommodation through HomeAway in the area, which includes seven prefectures – Ehime, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Kagawa, Okayama, Tokushima and Yamaguchi.

The first listings involving historic properties, over 100 years old, in Uchiko-town, Ehime prefecture – Machiya-Bessou Cocoro and Hotel Cocoro: Kura – are already available for booking on HomeAway.

Additional properties will progressively be made available on HomeAway, and by 2021 Setouchi DMO aims to have revitalised 100 historic properties for accommodation.