On November 13, 2025, at TravelDaily China’s Digital Intelligence Conference 2025 (Greater Bay Area edition), three frontline practitioners on the panel “New Opportunities in Hotel Business from a Travel Agency Perspective” pointed to three emerging signals: inbound travelers are becoming more cost-conscious, hotel inventory is increasingly competitive, and the products that truly stand out today rely less on price and more on stories and experiences.
Timothy Chui, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, noted that Hong Kong welcomes around 45 million mainland Chinese visitors and 10 million international tourists each year, and hotel occupancy rates remain consistently high.
In his view, travel agencies and hotels are naturally interconnected, and hotels that embed local culture into their offerings can significantly enhance their appeal.
Jinwen Huang, General Manager of the Inbound Travel Division at China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited, divided inbound demand into two major segments: Europe/US, and Southeast Asia. In the post-pandemic global economic downturn, both groups have seen shifts in their hotel preferences.
European and American “light luxury” travelers still prioritize the reliability and comfort of international chain brands, while Southeast Asian travelers are more focused on value, making Hong Kong’s four- and five-star hotels their preferred options.
Huang emphasized that streamlining payment, internet access, and front desk communication gives hotels a much higher chance of retaining returning guests.
Sunny Tan, founder of Guangdong LuxTravel International Cultural Tourism has spent 13 years specializing in high-end customized travel, serving nearly 200,000 premium clients. She observed that high-end guests are no longer satisfied with “just having a place to stay.” What they seek is a seamless experience—comfortable to stay in, photogenic to share, and memorable to talk about.
At the end of the session, the speakers offered several practical takeaways for industry operators:
* Hotels need to learn to tell stories, not just quote prices.
* Online exposure matters, but what happen after guests arrive matters even more.
* Non-standard hotels shouldn’t rely solely on private channels—they can work with travel agencies to expand the market together.
