The accommodation battle (sharing vs. traditional) is on in China.

The accommodation battle (sharing vs. traditional) is on in China.

HUAZHU Hotels Group CEO Jenny Zhang, Tujia CEO Justin Luo, Xiaozhu CEO Kelvin Chen and IHG’s VP, Digital & Voice, Greater China, Billy Turchin, will speak at the upcoming 2017 TravelDaily Conference, (September 13-14 in Shanghai).

The fight for “stay” (sharing economy vs. traditional hotel accommodation) isn’t new, and it is far from over.
It’s not about Airbnb and other leaders trying to grab more of the accommodations market, as the local players have been making steady progress. In fact, if we talk of China and the sharing economy, where does Airbnb stand vis-à-vis Tujia, Mayi and Xiaozhu?
Even Chinese-indigenous brands, both sharing economy and hotels, are involved in an interesting tussle.
Overall, the outcome of the initiatives is clear – offer a tailored experience as per the traveler’s budget, interests/preferences etc. This is being reflected in emerging brands and listings.
China Lodging Group (HUAZHU), a hotel operator and franchisor in China with more than 10 brand names in its portfolio and over 3,330 hotels (335,000 rooms) in operation in 369 cities, is planning an upgrade for economy hotels and fast expansion of mid-scale hotels this year, with cash balance supporting capital investments and acquisitions. The plan is to maintain gross opening of 450-500 hotels with at least 40% in mid- and upscale segments. China Lodging has launched three new midscale hotel offerings: CitiGo (affordable luxury brand), Manxin and HanTing Plus (entry-level midscale brand from flagship HanTing). The company has acquired boutique hotel operator Crystal Orange, with more than 100 properties, for RMB3.65 billion.
At the same time, foreign brands, are diligently looking at ways to be a part of the digital ecosystem and strengthen their offerings in China.
The progress of Tujia is also being followed closely. After the company concluded a strategic agreement with Ctrip and Qunar to acquire their homestay businesses, Tujia has been in the news for its new platform, VaShare. As of July 2017, the VaShare platform has exchangeable properties in 800 holiday destinations around the world, and it plans to increase the number to 6,000 in two years.
So will OTAs’ foray into offline business be a game changer for the sector? What kind of transformation will this online-offline integration bring about?
Will hotel chains find themselves besieged by new competition? How is the sharing economy lending a new dimension to the sector in China?

Hear from four senior executives at the upcoming 2017 TravelDaily Conference, held in partnership with Phocuswright September 13-14 in Shanghai
● Jenny Zhang, CEO, HUAZHU Hotels Group
● Justin Luo, Co-Founder and CEO, Tujia
● Kelvin Chen, Co-founder & CEO, Xiaozhu
● Billy Turchin, Vice President, Digital & Voice, Greater China, IHG
These are not-to-be missed sessions considering the level of competition and expansion being witnessed in China at this juncture.
The two-day TravelDaily Conference is a must-attend annual event for anyone associated with the travel industry in China.

Sep.13-14, 2017
The Yuluxe Sheshan
Shanghai, China

Contact:
Registration Inquiries: Rain Wang
Tel: +86 20 2882 9750 • register@traveldaily.cn

Sponsorship Inquiries – Echo Zeng
Tel: +86 20 2882 9757 • echo@traveldaily.cn

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