IHG Hotels & Resorts held a press conference on June 22 at the Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo in Tokyo. The panel was led by recently appointed Managing Director, Japan & Micronesia, and CEO of IHG-ANA Hotels Group Japan, Mr. Abhijay Sandilia. He revealed the future strategy for the Japanese market and the upcoming opening of “VOCO Osaka Central” in 2023.
Sandilia explained that he sees opportunities in the Japanese market for lifestyle brands and lodging-specific hotel brands. He said, “This is in line with the Japanese government’s policy of achieving 60 million foreign visitors to Japan by 2030,” and expressed his intention to accelerate development in the Japanese market.
The company operates 44 hotels under six brands in Japan, with a total of 12,323 rooms (as of March 31, 2023). The company plans to open “InterContinental Okinawa Chura Sun Resort” and “Regent Kyoto” in the future.
Looking at the global hotel market, international brands account for around 25% of each country’s hotels; in the case of OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) member countries, they account for 40% to 50% in some countries, but only 5% in Japan, he said. The Japanese hotel market is quite unique,” Sandilia said, and he believes that “there are opportunities in all segments” in Japan, where the percentage of international brands is low. He then explained that he saw an opportunity in lifestyle brands because consumers looking for lifestyle hotels tend to prefer international brands and the market is growing fast.
© Source travel watch