Articles tagged “alibaba”

China’s outbound travel is coming back, driven by favorable visa policies, increased airline capacity, and a growing interest in diverse global destinations. However, challenges remain, particularly in travel to the U.S.

As the Chinese travel market embraces personalization, technology integration, and enhanced experiences, the industry needs to adjust to this ever-changing landscape.

The Chinese are traveling, perhaps not as much as destinations would have liked them to, but the resurgence of Chinese travel brings optimism for travel businesses worldwide. It's a positive indication of recovery and a step towards normalcy in the tourism industry.

Sure, the world has missed Chinese tourists for far too long, but if you are a destination looking for that one elusive answer to what the new Chinese traveler will look like, we recommend you stop now.

While China rushes to travel internationally again, the global tourism industry hasn't been keeping up with its demand and new tastes.

Even as uncertainty continues to weigh on travel plans, Marriott is offering personalized experiences through its loyalty program in Asia. The hotel chain currently has more than 55 million Marriott Bonvoy members in Asia Pacific.

The likes of Alibaba, Grab, and Rakuten have billions of members. If hotels can tap into a just fraction of their users, and convert them to their own loyalty schemes, they'll be mighty happy.

Arne Sorenson was a maverick in his own way. He quietly visited Airbnb headquarters in 2014 to get a better understanding of short-term rentals, which culminated in Marriott's Homes & Villas. And he found a way to have a mutually beneficial relationship with those "evil" online travel agencies.

Regulators in China, Europe, and the U.S. can certainly screw up on execution of their goals with over-regulation, under-regulation, or initiatives that are off-target. But there's something happening around the globe that points to a new and potentially hopeful era for competition and innovation.