Landscape water feature at Plateno Resort Xichang Qionghai Bay
Since the entry of international hotel brands into the Chinese market in the 1980s, almost all well-known international hotel brands have entered China, occupying a non-negligible share of the market. In recent years, the expansion speed of international hotel brands remains unabated, but the market space is ultimately limited—hotel numbers cannot grow infinitely. Whether the Chinese market still has significant potential is a thought-provoking question.
Howard Ming frankly stated, “For the entire hotel industry, the available market space is indeed shrinking. Cities are becoming saturated, and opportunities are continually diminishing. In this context, hotels must find their own positioning and choose the right direction—they can no longer blindly pursue size and comprehensiveness.” Thanks to the rapid growth of tourism, resort hotels have become a highly vibrant category in the current market, with substantial opportunities remaining. This is also where Plateno sees its opportunity.
More and more urban dwellers are seeking ways to reconnect with nature. Resorts and homestays represent a future direction for the hotel industry and a blue ocean market. Irreplaceability—perhaps that’s the ultimate aspiration for any hotel.
[Journalist’s Notes]
The journalist had the privilege of venturing deep into the Meili Snow Mountains. Hearing Mr. Howard Ming passionately describe the magnificent landscapes of the Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan region always brings back memories of those days—arduous, solitary, yet filled with profound emotion. While trekking the Mingyong Glacier, I lagged behind the group, stuck on a steep mountainside, when a local Tibetan young man pulled me up and casually remarked, “Drolma, how did you end up here alone?” before disappearing from view in just a few steps.
Often, a vacation isn’t about effortless pleasure. Waking up in the high mountains, dizzy from the thin air, and pushing open the window to see clouds below—you truly realize that life is the most precious gift bestowed by nature. Such holidays may be tough, but they leave an indelible mark…