How Hilton Plans to Ride Asia's Travel Boom
Skift Take
Hilton’s slow-and-steady approach has worked, but with travel demand booming across Asia-Pacific, especially in India and China, it might be time to speed things up.
Here are some of Hilton’s wins in Asia:
One in every four hotels under construction in Asia carries the Hilton flag. In China, that figure rises to one in three. Last month, Hilton reached 1,000 trading hotels in Asia Pacific, up from 761 at the end of last year and ahead of its goal of 1,000 trading hotels by 2025."We have also completed regionalization of Hampton by Hilton for deployment outside of China. We’ll also expand franchise opportunities for both Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton," said Alan Watts, the hotel company’s president for Asia-Pacific.
Hilton’s strategy in the Asia Pacific region hinges on regional relevance; It makes sure an offering resonates with domestic travelers before expanding further.
In India, this means leveraging popular Bollywood stars like Deepika Padukone and Siddharth Malhotra to build brand awareness, while offering WhatsApp-based services to cater to local preferences.
