Shanghai success - latest from China

01-Aug-08

A focus on how luxury in China is rapidly changing was just one of the many debates at this year's Asia Luxury Travel Market in Shanghai. Alyson Cook recounts highlights of her visit.

The second Asia Luxury Travel Market (ALTM) in Shanghai in June was attended by more than 400 Asia-Pacific buyers and featured exhibitors from 49 countries showcasing their products.

The event was double the size of the 2007 inaugural show, with more than 1,100 of the world's top sellers and Asia-Pacific's top buyers attending, by invitation only, at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. More than 17,000 appointments were held over the three days.

The four-day event (16-19 June) began with a conference programme, which kicked off with a challenging presentation from Andrew Y Wu, group director, China, of luxury brand company LVMH. He gave an impassioned summary of the Chinese luxury market and how it has been transformed in the past three generations.

Several panel discussions followed: the first was hosted by Luxury Travel (LT)'s editor, Alyson Cook, and debated 'China as a capital for the world's experience economy'. Panellists included Alan Hepburn, MD of Shanghai-based Three on the Bund, who spoke about his long experience in the hospitality industry, having worked previously at The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, as well as at positions in Hong Kong and Macau. Katrina Chang, general manager of Shanghai's Shile Boutique Lifestyle Centre, gave her unique insight into predictions for the Chinese luxury market as a Taiwanese citizen; and finally, seasoned hotelier Akram Touma, on his first day as general manager of the Jumeirah HanTang Xintiandi (which is set to open later this year), spoke about the Chinese luxury consumer and gave advice on how to avoid any potential cultural pitfalls.

The second panel discussion, moderated by Paul Hicks of Hong Kong-based Grebstad Hicks, involved speakers from the Asia-Pacific luxury press, who advised buyers on how to manufacture their company's image in the region.

During the show, ALTM was presented with the Five Star Diamond Award by The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences and won Asia's Leading Travel Exhibition at the World Travel Awards. "This, plus the many other events held in Shanghai around ALTM this year, goes to demonstrate how much ALTM has become a magnet for the luxury travel sector and is now the best place to reach out to the who's who of the luxury travel industry in one go," said Jay Martens, event director of ALTM 2008.

EXHIBITORS' VERDICTS

- "I think the show is nicely done. I have got some very good contacts, but until I get back home it will be difficult to judge its real success. The Chinese contingent attending is strong this year. I think I will be back again next year." - Polly Sum, Sanctuary Cruising, Hong Kong, China

- "I haven't been to ILTM, but we are certainly happy with this show. Quality of appointments is good too, with few cancellations. I think we will be back next year - in five years' time, we anticipate this region will be second only to the US in importance for our market." - Richard Hyde, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, London, UK

"I was impressed with the number of luxury travel agents and tour operators from all over Asia and Australasia. So many quality buyers from such a wide area makes ALTM an essential part of our annual calendar." - Mark Witney, chief operating officer, Singita Game Reserves, Africa

WHAT'S NEW IN CHINA

- China's first carbon-neutral hotel, 26-room Urbn, opened in a renovated factory warehouse in Shanghai this summer. www.urbnhotels.com

- Ritz-Carlton will launch its Shenzhen hotel in late 2008; it will have 43 suites and a 400sqm presidential suite. In 2010, the company will close its Hong Kong property and reopen in Kowloon with a 118-storey "spectacular high-rise with a funky design". www.ritzcarlton.com

- The Pudong Shangri-La Hotel has introduced the Shanghai Shopping Spree package (£442 for a premier Suite), until Feb 09, based on a min two-night stay. www.shangri-la.com

- The Pangu 7 Star Hotel Beijing opened in July with a 488sqm presidential suite: costing £13,206 per night, it has two bedrooms. The 234-room hotel overlooks Olympic Park and the "Bird's Nest" stadium. VIP guests will be met by a hotel limousine, which include a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley.The hotel also has a helicopter pad. www.panguplaza.com

- Lufthansa Private Jets is to expand into China in 2009, offering clients the chance to use its private jets facility when landing in Beijing. www.lufthansa-private-jet.com

- Langham Hotels International is to launch a boutique property in Shanghai in early 2009. The 99-room Yangtze Langham will have four restaurants and a column-free ballroom on the top floor. Langham will also open one of its new Langham Place-branded hotels in Beijing, located inside the new terminal 3 building at the city's airport. www.langhamhotels.com

- Amanresorts will open its first resort in China near Beijing's Summer Palace in September. The resort will be housed in a series of dwellings, some of which date back more than a century. www.amanresorts.com

- Virgin Atlantic runs a daily Upper Class service to Shanghai, which it does not yet plan to increase, 'but will continue to keep this under review', according to a spokesman. The airline is increasing the Hong Kong route to twice daily from October. www.virgin-atlantic.com

- Abercrombie & Kent is the first UK tour operator to feature Sanctuary Cruising's environmentally friendly, deluxe cruise on the Yangzi River, which launched in July. The MS Yangzi Explorer has a maximum capacity of 124 passengers, several suites, and a 6,000sqft spa. www.sanctuary-cruising.com

- Mandarin Oriental is opening a villa resort at Sanya on Hainan Island in China this year, as well as hotels in Beijing and Macau (2009); in 2010, it will open hotels in Guangzhou and Taipei. www.mandarinoriental.com

- EVA Air launched non-stop charter flights to China from Taiwan in July, marking the historic opening of links between the two places.

- The Peninsula Spa By Espa opened at The Peninsula Beijing in May, and includes 10 treatment rooms, two private spa suites and a specialised manicure/pedicure room. www.peninsula.com

BUYERS' VERDICTS

- "This is my first ALTM, and it's great for one-on- one time. The quality of exhibitors is apt for our market. I hope to be asked back - we are short of educationals in this industry, and it's easy to get stale." - Jan Siaosi, Travel on the Parade, Adelaide, Australia

- "I felt like a kid in a candy store. It was a great success and I would highly recommend the event." - Wendy Buckley, managing director, Travel Specialists Mosman, New South Wales, Australia

- "As one of Japan's largest inbound and outbound agents, this show is a good focus for us. The Japanese market is slow to adopt new properties, but the standard here is good and I hope to do business with some of them." - Tom Bickel, Toptour Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

- "It's a great show, on a different scale to International Luxury Travel Market, but I have had some good appointments and many were suitable for my business." - Ashish Sapra, Horizon Dream Vacations, New Delhi, India

- "I truly found it a most efficient, rewarding and enjoyable event. It allowed me to meet new business partners and be introduced to products which were previously unknown. As a result, new initiatives have arisen to introduce their products into our market." - Desmond Lim, senior manager, Anglo-French Travel PTE

- "This is my first Asia Luxury Travel Market and I am finding it very useful, but also very busy - networking in the evening is good, too." - Taka Fukuda, Web Travel, Tokyo, Japan.