As the world gets smaller and global travel becomes more widespread, more hotel companies want to be in the places that people from their home markets are going. U.S.-based companies want to be in Europe and Asia, and increasingly, companies from Asia and Europe want to be in the United States. "With the sheer volume of Chinese nationals starting to travel around the world, being there is important because of our high profile in China," says Stephen Darling, regional vice president, North America, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. "People feel comfortable with the brand being there to look after them." Another reason European and Asian brands want to be in the United States is the outbound potential of the market.
展开▼
