Jumeirah signs agreement with Chinese travel firm
Hospitality group moves to enhance its China market strategy
Dubai:
Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts said on Thursday it has signed an agreement with China’s travel service firm, Ctrip.com International, in a move to enhance its China market strategy.
The global direct connectivity partnership agreement, signed in Shanghai, further strengthens Jumeirah’s commitment to the China market as it will allow Chinese travellers to directly book some of the world’s most sought after accommodations via Ctrip.com’s platform, the hotel management company said in a statement.
The deal will see an increase in Chinese visitors for Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, especially those located in Dubai, the Maldives and Shanghai, Jumeirah said.
The move falls in line with Jumeirah group aggressively increasing its presence in China. The group expects a growth of 14 per cent from the Chinese market to its worldwide portfolio in 2013. “Jumeirah has confidence that the Chinese travel and tourism market will continue its rapid growth,” Nicholas Clayton, COO of Jumeirah Group, said in a statement.
Jumeirah further said that China now ranks as the sixth most important source market for its hotels internationally, with the most popular destinations in the Jumeirah portfolio for Chinese visitors being Dubai and the Maldives, as well the company’s first hotel in mainland China Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel, Shanghai.
The Group has five future hotel projects in development in China, including Jumeirah Guangzhou (opening in late 2014), Jumeirah Macau, Jumeirah Clearwater Bay Resort in Sanya, Jumeirah Hangzhou and Jumeirah Thousand Island Lake Resort, Qiandaohu.
