China’s biggest upscale hotel company, Jin Jiang, is planning to venture into the international market for the first time soon, with the expansion of its brand into key global cities.
Speaking to Travel Daily at the ITB Asia trade show in Singapore today (24 October 2013), Cinn Tan, the Shanghai-based hotelier’s senior vice president of marketing & sales, revealed that Jin Jiang is planning to capitalise on the growth of the Chinese outbound market by serving the needs of Chinese travellers in Europe, the US and Asia.
“The Chinese outbound market is expected to hit 100 million in the next few years, and is the key source market for the rest of the world,” Ms Tan said. “We want to give these Chinese travellers a sense of belonging – a brand they can trust when they travel overseas.”
While no exact projects have been announced at this stage, Ms Tan said the company is “exploring various options, including management contracts and property purchases”.
She also revealed that the Chinese drawcard is giving Jin Jiang a “competitive advantage” when it comes to securing hotel management contracts.
The style of Jin Jiang’s overseas properties will “balance Chinese elements with a local touch”, Ms Tan said, and all service touchpoints will be designed with Chinese customers in mind, including Chinese-speaking front desk staff, hotel guides and menus translated into Chinese, and a strong focus on Chinese F&B outlets.
On this last point, Ms Tan also revealed that Jin Jiang is planning roll-out a new branded F&B concept. The company is “still working on the brand” details, but it is expected to be an authentic Chinese restaurant concept, and will be adopted across both domestic Chinese and international properties.
Along with the standard upscale Jin Jiang brand, the company will also soon launch its first ever J Hotel – the new ultra-luxury concept that will debut in Shanghai’s tallest building, becoming the world’s highest hotel. Ms Tan told Travel Daily that Jin Jiang is also considering the possibility of bringing the J Hotels brand overseas, although any location would need to be “selective and exclusive”.
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