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Minor Hotels and Chongqing Yuanchu Cultural Tourism Group sign agreement
Global hospitality group Minor Hotels recently signed an agreement between its Chinese joint venture, Funyard Minor and Chongqing Yuanchu Luquan Cultural Tourism Group. The deal is part of the development of the Anantara Clear Water Bay Sanya Resort which is set to open by October 2027. Minor’s vice-president for development in Greater China Eddy Tiftik said: "We are honoured to collaborate with Chongqing Yuanchu Luquan Cultural Tourism Group to jointly create the Anantara Clear Water Bay Sanya Resort as a renowned resort destination in China. This project represents a significant expansion for our Anantara brand and our commitment to promoting sustainable tourism development in Hainan and supporting Lingshui’s ‘2+7+3+N’ coordinated development plan. We look forward to deepening the influence of the Anantara brand in China through this new project, creating a luxury leisure destination with deep reverence for its natural surroundings and cultural heritage." Chongqing Yuanchu Luquan Cultural Tourism Development Group. chair Liu Yuanchu responded with: "We are excited to work with international hotel group Minor Hotels to build the Anantara Clear Water Bay Sanya Resort. The Clear Water Bay offers travellers luxurious facilities that seamlessly blend nature and culture, including an international standard golf course, luxury yacht marinas, fishing villages and tropical botanical gardens. We look forward to welcoming guests to explore the region with Anantara in the coming years." Luxury along a Singing Beach The 90-key Anantara Hotels & Resorts property is located along Clear Water Bay’s 12-kilometre stretch of fine, white sandy beach, known as one of the world’s three Singing Beaches. Rooms and suites at the resort will range in size from 60 to 240 square metres tailored to the needs of its guests. Holidaymakers can explore a range of culinary offerings at the resort’s specialty restaurants and an all-day dining venue. The resort’s leisure facilities will include an Anantara Spa, wellness centre, outdoor swimming pool and entertainment centre, complemented by signature experiences that integrate Hainan’s unique charm and local character. The property will also feature a versatile 400-square-metre banquet hall and a beautifully landscaped 350-square-metre outdoor lawn, ideal for a wide range of events and gatherings. An exceptional location Located in Lingshui Li Autonomous County on the southeastern coast of Hainan and 35 kilometres drive from Sanya’s city centre, Anantara Clear Water Bay Sanya Resort will leverage the region’s beautiful natural surroundings and year-round tropical climate to provide guests with access to sunny beaches, azure seas and stunning outdoor scenery. Lingshui boasts a wealth of tourism resources, including the pristine waters surrounding Fenjiezhou Island, the fine white sands of Qingshui Bay, the vibrant and engaging Nanwan Monkey Island, and the diverse attractions of R&F Ocean World. The resort’s prime location will also allow guests to discover the region’s local culture through handicrafts, fabric and bamboo weaving, music, and lively festival celebrations unique to the island.
Conrad Chongqing is Hilton’s 700th hotel in Greater China
Hilton formally opened the Conrad Chongqing, its 700th hotel in Greater China and the Conrad brand’s debut in the country’s western region. Hilton president for the Asia-Pacific Alan Watts referred to the milestone as a testament to the speed and scale of Hilton’s growth in China. Watts said: “[We open] our 700th property less than a year after we opened our 600th property here. With one in three hotel rooms under construction here bearing a Hilton flag, we continue to lead the industry as the fastest growing international hotel company in China and are better positioned than ever to extend our signature hospitality to even more destinations in the country.” China remains a pivotal market for Hilton’s strategic growth, establishing its presence in more than 240 destinations across the country. Today, Hilton's ten distinct brands continue to elevate the travel experience for Chinese guests. In the first half of 2024, the company’s expansion introduced Hilton brands to 25 new locations across Greater China, including Changshu, Guilin, and Rizhao. Inspired by nature and modern luxury Inspired by the city's mountainous terrain, Conrad Chongqing introduces an 'Oriental Floating City' concept that blends local nature and culture with contemporary design. Located in Chongqing’s fashionable Nan'an District, the hotel offers 275 guest rooms, three restaurants, and a lobby bar. Each room is thoughtfully designed with unique scenic views. The hotel’s high-altitude restaurant takes guests on a culinary journey with mountain and cloud views. The MIST lobby bar, located on the 52nd floor, offers a prime vantage point to admire Chongqing’s skyline as it transitions from day to night. Additionally, the hotel features over 2,000 square meters of versatile meeting and event space, providing an inspiring setting for conferences and gatherings. Hilton president for Greater China and Mongolia Qian Jin said of the location: “Chongqing’s distinctive allure and cultural depth, combined with its role as a key hub in Western China, make it an ideal location for this new Conrad property. We believe Conrad Chongqing will elevate the city’s cultural and tourism landscape and help invigorate Chongqing as a leading global destination.”
China adds Xian, Ningbo, and Chongqing in 144-hour visa-free travel ports
Travellers will have more options gaining entry in China as the country added Xian, Ningbo, and Chongqing to its growing list of 144-hour visa-free travel ports. China has been building itself as a stopover hub in Asia and the visa on arrival allows travellers from 53 countries to visit some entry ports in China like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu for up to six days, without requiring a long visa process. Obtaining this type of visa is much simpler than getting China’s 30-day tourist visa, the L visa, or the seven-day transit visa, the G visa. Both the L visa and G visa require advanced application, either in person at the consulate or by mail through a visa services company. Travellers with a passport from one of 53 countries are eligible for the visa-free transit permits that are valid for up to six days. Travellers must arrive on an international flight with a passport that is valid for at least three months from the date of entry, and a printout proving they have onward transit booked for a destination beyond China. The printout should include a confirmed booking number. The onward flight must land in a different country than the traveller’s origin, and that country must be outside of China, including Hong Kong and Macau. One must fly directly out of China; travellers can’t have a layover in another Chinese port.
Raffles City Chongqing sets world record with highest “horizontal skyscraper”
CapitaLand, one of Asia’s largest real estate companies, has set a new world record as it embarks on the crowning of Raffles City Chongqing. The development, situated at the famed Chaotianmen riverfront at the junction of Yangtze and Jailing rivers, promises to redefine urban living as it features smart design and innovative technologies. It’s an engineering marvel that lays on four 250m towers, reaching a total height of more than 400m above sea level. Raffles City Chongqing's construction began in September 2012 and it now holds the world’s record as the highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers. It exudes an image of powerful sails upon the river, representing the city’s surging growth, and was designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, who drew inspiration from the region’s thousand years of waterway transportation culture. Mr Lim Ming Yan, president and group CEO of CapitaLand Limited, said: “Raffles City Chongqing is by far the largest and most complex integrated development that CapitaLand has undertaken. CapitaLand is proud to have achieved this phenomenal structural engineering breakthrough of connecting skyscrapers, and we will continue to stay ahead of the curve by breaking new grounds in real estate development.” The crowing is not only a significant moment for CapitaLand and Raffles City Chongqing but a global milestone in the field of architecture and engineering. The Conservatory at Raffles City Chongqing is the world’s highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers. The Conservatory Raffles City Chongqing is a vertically-built urban district comprising a retail podium and eight skyscrapers for residential, office, serviced residence and hotel use. At the heart of it all is The Conservatory with a 10,000-square-metre floor area, connecting six vertical towers. It will be the centre of attraction, filled with an array of amenities including a themed observation deck, sky gardens, an infinity pool, and a variety of food and beverage outlets. Mr Lucas Loh, CEO of CapitaLand China, said: “As the crowning glory of Raffles City Chongqing, The Conservatory is envisaged as the centre of civic activities where locals and visitors from around the world converge in Chongqing. A highlight is the observation deck, which features an outdoor patio with see-through glass flooring – the tallest of its kind across the whole of west China for the best vantage point to enjoy the stunning views of the Yangtze River and Jialing River merging at Chaotianmen.” The Conservatory is made up of a continuous steel structure which is longer than Singapore’s tallest building laid on its side. Its construction is set to be finished this year, followed by the hoisting of the façade enclosure, and the trees and plants for the sky gardens. The Conservatory will be the centre of civic activities and a diverse mix of amenities. Standing tall and strong A wind modelling test was conducted for The Conservatory together with the eight towers. This ensures that the structure can overcome the site’s unique conditions which include exposure to strong winds. The structure also uses advanced frictional pendulum bearings and seismic dampers mounted on the towers as a support system. It dissipates seismic and wind activity more effectively than the conventional rigidity-driven design. The crown jewel is a breakthrough in structural engineering of linked high-rise building clusters. Site photo of Raffles City Chongqing, showing the first middle segment of The Conservatory in place. Raffles City Chongqing occupies a site area of 9.2 hectares. It will bring together a 230,000-sqm shopping mall, 160,000-sqm office space, 1,400 residential apartments, Ascott Raffles City Chongqing serviced residence and a luxury hotel. Furthermore, it’s fully integrated with a transport hub comprising a metro station, bus interchange, ferry terminal and cruise centre. The video below shows the how a 1,100-tonne segment of the 300-metre-long platform was hoisted 250-metres high.
Chongqing airport opens third terminal
Western China's largest city can now cater to significantly more air passengers, following the completion of a major expansion project at Chongqing’s Jiangbei International Airport. Passenger traffic at the airport has more than doubled since 2010, with more than 35 million passengers passing through the hub in 2016. And to cater for this growth, a third terminal and third runway have now opened, raising the airport's annual capacity to 60m passengers. The new Terminal 3A covers approximately 530,000m², more than double the size of the existing two terminals. A further phase of expansion, scheduled to take place after 2020, will see the development of Terminal 3B, boosting the airport’s capacity to 70m passengers per year. With more than 50m people living in the Chongqing region, Jiangbei International Airport has the potential to become one of the busiest and most important airports in China. It already has direct flights to cities including Los Angeles, London, Rome, Helsinki and Doha, and Hainan Airlines is planning to launch a new non-stop service from Chongqing to New York.
Asian air route updates, including connections to Krabi, Chongqing and Hiroshima
Malaysia Airlines to launch Chongqing route Where? Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Chongqing (China) When? Three times a week, effective 30 October 2017 Who? Malaysia Airlines Why? Malaysia’s national carrier continues to tap demand for inbound traffic from mainland China’s major cities Anything else? Chongqing is actually comprises of several amalgamated cities, including the districts of Fuling, Wanzhou and Qianjiang Ural Airlines starts flying to Krabi Where? Ekaterinburg (Russia) to Krabi (Thailand) When? Three times a week, effective 30 October 2017 Who? Ural Airlines Why? Creating a new link for Russian and Chinese travellers to access southern Thailand's beaches Anything else? The new route will operate via Beijing using an Airbus A320 aircraft SilkAir to commence Hiroshima service Where? Singapore to Hiroshima (Japan) When? Three times a week, effective 30 October 2017 Who? Silkair Why? Expanding trade and tourism ties between Singapore and Japan Anything else? Singapore Airlines, SilkAir's parent company, previously served Hiroshima (via Fukuoka) but suspended the route in 2003 Scoot develops Malaysian network Where? Singapore to Kuantan (Malaysia) When? Three times a week, effective 1 November 2017 Who? Scoot Why? Singapore Airlines’ low-cost carrier expands short-haul network following its merger with Tigerair Anything else? Kuantan was one of five new routes recently announced by Scoot, along with Honolulu, Kuching, Palembang and Harbin AirAsia Philippines expands domestic network Where? Manila to Iloilo (both Philippines) When? Three times a week, effective 1 November 2017 Who? AirAsia Philippines Why? Low-cost carrier continues to expand domestic network, adding flights to a city of approximately 500,000 people Anything else? This will mark the first time any AirAsia subsidiary has flown to Iloilo Jetstar Asia adds Clark connection Where? Singapore to Clark (Philippines) When? Three times a week, effective 28 November 2017 Who? Jetstar Asia Why? Clark is located less than 100km from Manila, so this route creates another travel option between Singapore and the Philippine capital Anything else? Following the launch, Jetstar Asia will provide more than 400,000 annual seats between the Philippines and Singapore
Chongqing gets new direct link to New York
The city of Chongqing, which lies on the banks of the Yangtze River in western China, will soon be connected to New York with the launch of non-stop flights by Hainan Airlines. The Chinese carrier will start flying twice a week non-stop between Chongqing and New York JFK Airport on 20 October 2017. This new service will create a major bridge between two of the world's most populous cities, which have a combined population in excess of 40 million people. Flights will depart Chongqing's Jiangbei International Airport every Wednesday and Friday at 2200 and arrive in New York at 0050 the following day. Return flights depart JFK every Thursday and Saturday at 0250 and arrive back in Chongqing at 0635 next morning. Hainan Airlines will serve the route using its Boeing 787 Dreamliner The route will be operated using Hainan Airlines' Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. "Hainan Airlines rolled out a non-stop service between Chongqing and Los Angeles on March 21, 2017, representing the first ever non-stop route connecting Chongqing to North America. With the new service, travellers will be able to fly directly from Chongqing to both of the US's coasts, east and west, via Hainan Airlines," said Pu Ming, vice president of Hainan Airlines. "The opening of the new route is expected to significantly facilitate exchanges... between the two countries and to further improve Chongqing's international role as a key aviation hub." The new Chongqing-New York route becomes Hainan Airlines' 13th direct service to North America. It also becomes the airline's third long-haul route from Chongqing, following the existing services to LA and Rome.
“The world knows nothing about them”: Wendy Wu urges push for China’s hidden gems
Globally-renowned tour operator and travel professional Wendy Wu graced yesterday’s TDM Global Summit in Bangkok, taking the spotlight in a fireside chat titled From Hidden Gems to Global Demand: A Specialist Touring Playbook. During the talk, Wu declared that China’s hidden gems, lesser-known destinations that have their own unique appeal for travellers, need to be shown off and, in doing so, raise the country’s profile as a potential growth sector for global tourism. According to Wu: “These places are precious and unique, and to Chinese travellers, they are just so good. But the rest of the world knows nothing about them.” For Wu, the important thing is for travel companies and tour operators to identify these destinations, seek them out, and do their part to grow and develop them to their full potential. As she put it: “When you do that, you’ve done a good job and it’s a win-win situation for both the destination and the country, as well as your company. You and your company will be shaped by it, especially when you create a demand for the destination.” Indeed, creating a demand for these lesser-known locations lays down the foundation for significant cultural and economic growth all around. Why lesser-known locales matter Note that we have so far avoided referring to these locations as secondary destinations which is a term we find derogatory as these cities and provinces stand to boom into major stops in their own right. Indeed, where China is concerned, lesser-known locations can expand the range of attractions the country can offer to global travellers. At the same time, it also helps decongest major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, as well as special autonomous regions Hong Kong and Macao, thus alleviating the adverse impact of overtourism. Furthermore, pitching these destinations to the world can bring out a number of promotional innovations, including the use of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), night tours that give travellers a different look at familiar places, as well as developing attractions and amenities to suit the needs of a growing number of people seeking high-quality and luxury experiences. The benefits of boosting China’s hidden gems Identifying and developing hidden gem destinations can bring on a number of benefits for China and its people. These include: Greater diversification and reduced overcrowding Diverting travellers’ focus towards these little-known places reduces the strain that overtourism puts on the resources of primary destinations, resulting in more comfortable and enjoyable experiences that encourage greater tourist spending; Cultural immersion through technology Scenic areas like Chongqing and Anhui are combining their amazing landscapes with advanced imaging technology to create truly unique immersive experiences that pique visitors’ curiosity, pushing them to explore further and learn more about these destinations; Authentic experiences can draw in high-quality travellers Giving younger, more adventurous travellers the opportunity to experience local lifestyles and a region’s natural attractions goes a long way towards attracting the right sort of traveller and help boost the growth of local communities, thereby encouraging societal and economic growth; and Infrastructural improvement Developing hidden destinations is a game-changer where infrastructure and connectivity are concerned, as we will see the development of attractions, as well as transportation measures and accommodations. For Wu, the development of these destinations does not rely on government agencies alone; indeed, it demands effort from all those with a stake in both national and local tourism. As she put it: “We all work together to enhance the customer's experience from the beginning to the end. I think all of us can work together; and when we work together, then we grow faster.”
China–France routes are decentralizing
Chinese cities like Xiamen, Nanjing, Chongqing and Xi’an have successively launched direct flights to Paris. At the same time, the Shanghai–Marseille route is ramping up rapidly. A new trend is emerging: China–France routes are no longer centered solely on Paris. For a long time, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport handled almost all air connectivity between the two countries. High-frequency flights linking Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou with Paris formed the backbone of the market. But this “single-hub” structure is beginning to shift. Following the launch of the Shanghai Pudong–Marseille route by Shanghai Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, in 2024, new routes to cities such as Lyon may also be on the horizon. According to the latest data from VariFlight, Chinese carriers now account for 77.02% of capacity on China–France routes, compared with just 22.98% for Air France. Six Chinese airlines—including China Eastern Airlines, Air China and China Southern Airlines—have taken a leading position through multi-city expansion. China Eastern and Air China each hold a 29.83% share, jointly ranking first. This marks a clear shift: in the French market, Chinese airlines are no longer just filling gaps—they are taking the lead. Paris remains the dominant hub. However, as traffic from China’s tier-one and key tier-two cities continues to grow, its capacity is nearing saturation. Growth is now seeking new outlets. In the first half of 2025, six routes from major hubs—Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei and Guangzhou—to France carried 969,400 passengers, up 6.63% year-on-year. Among them, Shanghai grew by 14.5%, Hong Kong by 1.3%, Taipei by 2.9%, and Guangzhou by 29.4%, while Beijing declined by 6.4%. Meanwhile, five routes from secondary hubs—Xiamen, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Xi’an and Chengdu—carried 102,000 passengers in the first half, surging 79.7% year-on-year, with an average load factor of 83.8%. The Shanghai–Marseille route has reached 150 round-trip flights, nearly matching Xiamen–Paris (156 flights) and surpassing Shenzhen–Paris in frequency. Read English version
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