Tianjin, September 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The 5th China-Spain International Conference on Tourism and Hospitality and the 3rd Nankai University International Symposium on Tourism were successfully held in Tianjin, China, from September 3 to September 6. The President of HNA Hotels Group John Kidd was invited to attend the event as a key interview guest.
The China-Spain International Conference on Tourism and Hospitality was established in 2010, with the original goal of strengthening in-depth exchanges between academia and industry in China and Spain, two major tourism nations, and exploring new opportunities for academic research and business cooperation.。After five years of development, the conference has gradually become a platform for the exchange of tourism research and practice between China and Europe. This year’s event was jointly organized by the School of Tourism and Service Management at Nankai University and the Faculty of Tourism Management at the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain. Participants included top domestic and international tourism scholars, university faculty and doctoral students, as well as industry representatives. HNA International Hotels Group, as the event organizer, joined the universities and numerous scholars in the discussions.
Thetheme of this conference was “New Trends, New Phenomena, New Methods, and New Strategies” in tourism and hospitality research and industry practice. Over the three-day event, multiple tourism-themed seminars and presentations by industry guests were held, delving deeply into various aspects of the tourism sector and future development trends. Attendees at the conference included not only leaders from HNA Hotels Group but also senior executives from national tourism authorities, Qunar.com, Baidu, Caissa Travel, Shanghai Disneyland, and other companies.
Mr. John Kidd, President of HNA Hotels Group, speaking at the conference
At the conference, Mr. John Kidd, President of HNA Hotels Group, John Kidd shared his views on the topic of “China’s Hotel Industry in the ‘New Normal.’” John Kidd discussed the current state and future development strategies of China’s hotel industry. He noted that against the backdrop of China’s slowing economic growth, the profitability of both five-star luxury hotels and budget hotels is gradually declining, while mid-range hotels are seizing development opportunities and have become a new focus of investment in China’s hotel industry. Regarding the internationalization of China’s hotel sector, John suggested that Chinese hotel groups can diversify risks through acquisitions of international companies, while strong performances in global markets can reduce risk and enhance asset value. With decreasing restrictions related to time and visas, China is expected to see more outbound tourists in the future, providing vast market potential for Chinese hotel groups expanding overseas.
JohnAs President of HNA Hotels Group, he pointed out that HNA Hotels is a national hotel brand in China and will make full use of the extensive resources of the HNA Group — including airlines, helicopters, cruise companies, travel agencies, financial firms, and other sectors — to achieve strong investment in the mid-range hotel segment. While developing domestic mid-to-high-end hotels, HNA Hotels Group is committed to expanding its presence in overseas markets. The group is focusing on cities along HNA flight routes and capital cities abroad, aiming to become the top choice for Chinese outbound tourists when staying overseas.
Mr. John Kidd, President of HNA Hotels Group, posing for a photo with Spanish hospitality industry peers and leaders from the Spanish National Tourism Administration
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150910/0861508477-a
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150910/0861508477-b