New trends in luxury travel in China

As the travel market opens up again, luxury hotels in China are seeing occupancy rates recover, and the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain has noticed some new trends – such as more leisure travellers and a younger demographic – that will be important in the years ahead.

In its Next-Gen Luxury Travel Preferences Insight Report, the hotel brand identifies six areas, as reported in Retail In Asia, where luxury hotels will need to review their offer to meet expectations.

Six trends for luxury hotels 

• Experiences are crucial 

Younger luxury travellers are looking for an appreciation of a destination that goes beyond sightseeing and comes from a connection with local people and culture. 

• Think food 

High quality cuisine can be a good way of injecting local culture into a guest’s experience. 

• Combine high tech with a human touch 

Technology enables greater convenience and personalised experiences, but next-gen luxury travellers place a high value on personal encounters. Luxury hotels have to find the correct balance.

• ‘Bleisure’ is a thing

Working from home during the pandemic has accelerated the trend to ‘bleisure’ – the notion that it’s possible to combine business and leisure as long as there’s internet connectivity. Hotels need to adapt to cater to the needs of this market.

• Social spaces are increasingly important

Luxury hotels can develop as venues in themselves, attracting guests with unique offerings – things like art exhibitions or brand crossover launches.

• Sustainability is an imperative

An eco-friendly offering is no longer a nice-to-have option – a new generation of luxury travellers is actively seeking out wellbeing and sustainable options.

Sourced from Retail In Asia [Image: The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai]