Face-to-Face: Jean-Marc Busato, Managing Director - Asia Pacific, Carlson Hotels Worldwide
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1) Carlson has begun launching the Radisson Plaza brand in China; can you tell our readers a little more about this brand, and how it fits into Carlson’s portfolio of brands in China?
Radisson Plaza is the premium extension of the upscale full-service Radisson Hotels & Resorts brand. It offers guests vibrant, contemporary and engaging hospitality defined by the “Yes, I Can!” service philosophy. Radisson includes more than 400 locations in 68 countries globally. The brand is fast becoming a well-established name in key commercial cities across China.
Carlson currently manages six Radisson hotels in China, including the Radisson Plaza Hotel Tianjin, which opened its doors to guests last month. We have plans to add another five Radisson hotels in key secondary and tertiary destinations across the country by 2012. They include the Radisson Plaza Hotel Chongqing Nan Bin Lu, which is scheduled to open towards the end of 2010, followed by Radisson Plaza Hotel Shenyang Hunnan in 2011, and Radisson Plaza Hotel Sanya Lu Hui Tou in 2012.
2) How important is China to Carlson’s overall plans, and are you concerned that hotel market in major cities may be entering a state of over-supply?
China is one of the largest regional markets for Carlson and a key component of our overall strategy to more than double our current hotel portfolio in Asia by 2012.
In the long-term, the hospitality industry in China still remains strong and will be one of the fastest growing tourism markets in the world. It is expected to overtake the US as the number one inbound travel market within 10 years.
Part of Carlson’s strategy is to respond to a lack of internationally branded hotels in many of China’s secondary and tertiary cities, which are growing rapidly. While we value new opportunities in tier one cities, our expansion plans are also focused on growing our presence in these less traditional markets.
3) Carlson has long had a significant presence in India. With so many hotel groups now announcing plans to expand in India, how confident are you of Carlson’s continued success in this market, and do you think your past experience in India will help achieve this?
Carlson is currently the largest international hotel operator in India and over the next two years, we plan to open more than 50 new hotels across the country with more than 6,000 rooms under development. India will remain our core growth market along with China, Thailand and the South Pacific.
Carlson is a well-established name in India. Our brands have gained strong visibility through a number of high-profile award-wins and resonate well with partners and investors. We will therefore continue to leverage on our leadership position in India by also growing our managed properties portfolio in the long-term through strategic partnerships.
4) The global economic slowdown is hitting the hotel industry worldwide; what measures is Carlson taking to maintain revPAR, and which markets are proving most challenging?
We are constantly evaluating different markets in the region and focusing our efforts on new sales and marketing strategies to ensure competitiveness during these challenging economic times. We are tackling the situation on an ongoing basis and therefore it’s tough to say which markets are most or least challenging.
We have recently partnered with major commercial carriers Air China and Jet Airways, to join our portfolio of more than 20 global airline partners. These partnerships are particularly valuable now, as travellers become more cost conscious and look to maximise the use of special offers and bonus points.
In addition to this, we will continue to aggressively promote our “Yes, I Can!” service philosophy, which encourages every employee to make decisions and empowers them to ensure 100 per cent guest satisfaction.
5) What developments are we likely to see from Carlson in 2009?
We have several new hotel openings this year across the region. In Thailand, we will open three new properties - Radisson Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach, Radisson Hotel Bangkok Sathorn and Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit. We also have The Regent Maldives opening at the end of the year - a luxury resort set in the stunning surroundings of the secluded island of Malefushi. Carlson will also open its first hotel in the Philippines this year - Radisson Hotel Cebu, and another hotel in China - Park Beijing West.
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