Dubai’s Jumeirah Group to Sign up 12 New Hotels in China

Dubai’s Luxury hotel group Jumeirah has announced that it plans to expand in China over the next few years with the set up of 12 new hotels by 2012. The rising number of wealthier domestic customers as well as travelers will create new demands for the luxury hotel business.

“There is a huge opportunity within the luxury hotel market in China,” said Gerald Lawless, executive chairman of Jumeirah Group in a recent interview with China Daily. Although Chinese customers do not make up a great percentage of the hotel’s business, China is one of Jumeirah’s greatest destinations for growth.

The group has already opened up hotels in Macao, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Hainan. Earlier this year Jumeirah introduced the Venu hotel brand with the first one being launched in Shanghai.

China has seen the largest increase in domestic tourism in all of Asia.  Other international hotel brands such as the Marriot, which says it plans to open 60 new hotels in the next five years, are also flocking to the continent to take advantage of such potential for growth.