Hilton Worldwide banking on Asia-Pac growth

Singapore

HOTEL group Hilton Worldwide is expanding its footprint in the Asia-Pacific, as it seeks to ride on the rising wave of Chinese travellers.

Last year, 100 million mainland Chinese travelled outbound, largely within Asia itself; this is expected to double to 200 million by 2018, giving the region's tourism industry a shot in the arm, stressed Martin Rinck, president (Asia-Pacific) for Hilton Worldwide.

"The amount of properties that is going to fuel (in) Asia-Pacific, where the Chinese outbound go as their priority market - the potential for travel and tourism will continue to grow. We are very, very bullish about the outlook," he said.

In the region, Hilton currently has 143 hotels in operation across six of its 12 brands, namely the Hilton, Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, Double Tree and Hilton Garden Inn as well as Hampton by Hilton. Much of that growth has come over the last eight years as…