On the afternoon of the 12th, Dongguan hosted the “Dongguan Tour of Multinational Hotel Groups” series of events. Elites from renowned international hotel groups such as Marriott, Hilton, InterContinental, Accor, Meliá, Swire, and Langham gathered at the beautiful Lion Ocean—Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area to foster friendships and explore opportunities for mutual development.
Multinational hotel groups, as the shining gems of the global tourism and service industry, not only possess outstanding brand influence and management expertise but also play a vital role in advancing urban internationalization and enhancing city quality. Dongguan, a city renowned for its manufacturing, is currently riding the wave of development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and is accelerating its progress toward modernization and internationalization.
“Today’s Dongguan is full of endless business opportunities, aligning in many ways with the business expansion directions of multinational hotel groups,” said Lu Zhan, Director of the Municipal Investment Promotion Bureau, who attended the event. “We hope to join hands with these leading international hotel groups to embark on a brand-new journey of pragmatic cooperation.”
As a key city in the Greater Bay Area, Dongguan, with a population exceeding 10 million, serves as a crucial intersection for the flow of people, capital, and information in the region. It experiences frequent business activities and has strong consumer demand. Particularly with the rapid economic development and the improvement of living standards, consumers are increasingly seeking high-quality and personalized accommodation experiences. This presents multinational hotel groups with unprecedented opportunities for growth and market potential.
Since the opening of Dongguan Hotel, the first large-scale China-foreign joint venture hotel in 1983, Dongguan now boasts over 3,500 hotels, including more than 30 luxury hotels and nearly 120 upscale hotels. The city annually receives nearly 40 million domestic and international tourists, with total tourism revenue exceeding 30 billion RMB. Dongguan has consistently ranked as a “Popular Tourist Destination in China” for several years. According to Baidu Migration Data, Dongguan ranked tenth in the national list of popular destinations on the first day of this year's May Day holiday, while the WeChat “2024 May Day Data Report” placed Dongguan sixth among the top 10 cities in consumer activity nationwide.
Moreover, Dongguan’s comprehensive manufacturing system provides a strong foundation for multinational hotel groups to establish and reinforce their global presence. As a renowned international manufacturing city, Dongguan is home to over 220,000 industrial enterprises and a modern industrial system that covers 34 major categories and over 60,000 products. It has developed trillion-level clusters in electronic information and billion-level clusters in equipment manufacturing, new materials, food and beverages, and textiles and clothing. From gourmet cuisine to fashionable home furnishings, from shoes, hats, and bags to trendy apparel, from headphones and wearables to smart devices—Dongguan’s manufacturing is everywhere. For example, Huawei’s newly released Mate X3, the world's first triple-fold smartphone, was produced in Dongguan.
Additionally, Dongguan boasts an advantageous transportation network. From the Binhaiwan Bay Area, it takes just 20 minutes to reach Shenzhen Airport and 80 minutes to reach Guangzhou Baiyun Airport or Hong Kong International Airport. Dongguan has also partnered with Hong Kong International Airport to establish the Dongguan Air Cargo Center, allowing goods to be shipped directly to the airside terminal of Hong Kong Airport via dedicated vessels, saving 30% in logistics time and customs clearance costs for businesses. Lu Zhan noted that these advantages not only provide high-quality and efficient material support for the development of the hotel industry but also offer a solid backing for the global expansion of international hotel groups. He looks forward to deepening cooperation with major hotel groups, integrating Dongguan’s refined craftsmanship and exceptional quality into every aspect of hotel service, jointly creating internationally influential hotel brands, and delivering a unique accommodation experience to guests from around the world.
Dongguan’s rich blend of diverse cultures adds vibrancy and innovation to the development of multinational hotel groups. As a city with profound historical and cultural heritage combined with a modern spirit of innovation, Dongguan has established trade and cultural exchanges with over 200 countries and regions worldwide. Here, tradition intertwines with modernity, technology progresses alongside manufacturing, and innovation and cooperation offer endless possibilities, providing multinational hotel groups with unique cultural elements and sources of inspiration.
“We sincerely invite multinational hotel groups to deeply explore Dongguan’s cultural essence, combining local cultural elements with a global perspective to present guests with an array of cultural feasts. At the same time, we look forward to working closely together to promote the prosperity of Dongguan’s cultural and tourism industries, making Dongguan a go-to travel destination for many,” said Lu Zhan. He expressed hope that international hotel groups will seize this opportunity, invest in Dongguan, and establish more high-quality hotel projects to meet the diverse needs of consumers. Dongguan, in turn, will actively provide comprehensive policy support and high-quality services for international hotel groups, jointly fostering the prosperity and development of the city’s hotel industry.
At the meeting, the Binhaiwan Bay Area Administrative Committee, the Waterfront Economic Development Zone Administrative Committee, and the Xiegang Town Government each presented the business environment of their respective areas. Representatives from vivo, along with representatives from six multinational hotel groups including Marriott, Hilton, and InterContinental, also delivered speeches. During their stay in Dongguan, the delegation of multinational hotel groups conducted on-site visits to the Binhaiwan Bay Area Exhibition Center, Binhaiwan Bridge, Bay Area Eye Pedestrian Bridge, and Binhai Station.
[Voices from the representatives of the multinational hotel group]
Investing in Dongguan brings a promising future
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is an international hotel management group headquartered in London, UK, operating over 6,000 hotels across more than 100 countries worldwide. The first Metropark Lido Hotel Beijing, which opened in Greater China in 1984, was among the first international hotel brands to enter the Chinese market. In early 2024, IHG celebrated the opening of its 700th hotel in Greater China.
“As a core city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, IHG has always regarded Dongguan as a key development area, with potential projects currently being discussed in regions such as Dongcheng, Nancheng, Wanjiang, Qingxi, and Binhaiwan Bay Area,” said Liu Jun, Director of Development for IHG Greater China. He mentioned that IHG currently has an InterContinental Hotel in DG Mall, as well as two Holiday Inn Express hotels in Humen and Shatian. “We believe that in the near future, we will be able to establish more IHG brands in Dongguan, contributing to the rapid development of Dongguan’s cultural and tourism economy,” Liu Jun stated. He also offered suggestions for the development of Dongguan’s hotel industry: consider leveraging local resources to create more iconic cultural and tourism products that attract visitors to stay, such as developing unique tourist destinations by utilizing the abundant water systems and mountain resources.
Marriott International was established in 1927 and has opened 9,000 hotels across nearly 140 countries and regions, making it the largest and most valuable international hotel group in the world. It operates over 30 brands, including Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, and Westin. Marriott’s first hotel in China was the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel, which opened in 1974. This year marks Marriott’s 50th anniversary of deep engagement in the Chinese market.
“More than 20 years later, we are delighted to see that Dongguan’s hotel industry is thriving, providing more growth opportunities for us and our partners in the hospitality industry,” said Wang Yu, Vice President of Development at Marriott International. He noted that Marriott’s connection with Dongguan began in 2003, when the opening of the Sheraton Dongguan Hotel marked the entry of the first international five-star hotel into the city.
Wang Yu stated that after the on-site visit and listening to the introduction of the Greater Bay Area, he felt deeply that Binhaiwan is like a dazzling pearl embedded between the two megacities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, closely connected to the Hong Kong and Macao regions. Its unique geographical advantage is extremely rare across the entire Pearl River Delta region. “As an important hub city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Dongguan also needs a new area to participate in the competitive cooperation of the golden inner bay, and this key puzzle piece is the Binhaiwan Bay Area located at the geometric center of the Greater Bay Area,” said Wang Yu. “We are confident that, together with hotel investors and our peers in the hotel industry, we can jointly support the development of the Binhaiwan hotel industry and create a regional benchmark product.”
“In the next decade, China will become the largest travel and tourism market in the world,” said Chen Weiyi, Senior Director of Commercial Development for Greater China at Accor Hotels. As a national treasure-level hotel group from France, Accor embarked on an ambitious expansion plan in Greater China in 2024, aiming to open 103 new hotels by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the hotel development process in this market is accelerating. In 2023 alone, Accor signed nearly 150 new hotel development projects and is expected to surpass this number in 2024.
Chen Weiyi stated that Dongguan is a city rich in historical culture and modern development, renowned for its unique “Dongguan Model” and its reputation as the “World Factory,” making it one of China’s important manufacturing bases and a key part of the Greater Bay Area. As a European-listed hotel group, Accor hopes to establish a more high-end and diverse brand presence in Dongguan, leveraging the opportunity of the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations to deepen cooperation.
“As an important member of the Greater Bay Area, Dongguan’s potential in the high-end and luxury hotel sector is yet to be fully tapped. We are delighted to see that this city is calling for more unique and differentiated hotel brands to enrich its tourism and cultural ecosystem, adding a vibrant touch to its landscape,” said Chong Qin, Senior Manager of Business Development in China for Langham Hospitality Group, which has a history dating back to 1865. Chong expressed great expectations for Dongguan and expressed a willingness to be a leader in this trend. By introducing innovative design concepts and exceptional service quality, Langham aims to bring a new luxury experience to Dongguan and the entire Greater Bay Area, jointly creating a bright future for the region’s tourism landscape.
