Horwath HTL数据：亚太85%–90%品牌酒店开发落在一线门户城市之外，新兴目的地受会展组织者关注

Secondary and tertiary cities have captured the overwhelming bulk of Asia-Pacific hotel development over the past 15 years, with 85 to 90 per cent of branded deals signed outside the region’s top 20 first-tier gateway cities, according to Horwath HTL.

“Developers are looking beyond saturated gateway cities and into provincial hubs, industrial zones, and emerging coastal markets. These locations often offer lower land costs, less direct competition, and a more balanced demand mix from domestic travellers and regional corporate guests,” said Andrew Shaw, chief development officer at Centara Hotels & Resorts.

Bryan Chan, vice president of development for South-east Asia and Korea at IHG Hotels & Resorts, expects the “next phase of growth” to come from secondary cities and domestic-driven demand, alongside expansion in the mainstream segment.

The pipeline is also moving sharply upmarket, with direct consequences for business event planners who are seeking premium inventory beyond the gateway cities.

“Now upscale and above is nearly 35 per cent of deals just in the secondary and tertiary cities. Luxury has tripled and upscale has grown nearly 25 per cent, while economy has fallen to around six per cent. It is certainly a shift upwards,” said Matt Gebbie, director, Pacific Asia at Horwath HTL.

Brand affiliation matters in destinations without an established hospitality track record. Xavier Grange, global chief development officer for Sofitel, Emblems, MGallery and All Luxury Brands Europe-North Africa at Accor, noted that owners are using brand equity to underwrite projects in less mature locations.

“This is particularly relevant in culturally rich destinations, where the combination of a strong brand and a distinctive local context can help differentiate the project and support long-term value,” said Grange.

Scale matters where industrial demand is concentrated, and the resulting product – often featuring events infrastructure – suits group business.

“In rapidly growing urban and industrial hubs, larger-scale developments remain relevant. Flagship projects under brands such as Sofitel often adopt a mixed-use approach, combining hotel rooms, serviced residences and meeting facilities. These assets are designed to respond to business and events demand while contributing to the broader development and international positioning of the destination,” Grange added.

Hotel development is aligned with industrial development, which is seen in the creation of special economic zone districts or industrial corridor investments – with many established as manufacturers diversify capacity away from China under China Plus One sourcing strategies. This is observed especially in India, China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Furthermore, Horwath HTL is seeing deals materialising in hybrid destinations that command both commercial and leisure appeal. Such hybrid destinations include Batam in Indonesia, Penang in Malaysia, Cebu in the Philippines, and Danang in Vietnam.

Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island is one to watch (see page 34). Set to host a number of APEC meetings in 2027, Phu Quoc is now seeing the construction of several enormous resorts, and these will position the island as a future destination for business events.

For event planners, those hybrid destinations offer delegates the best of both worlds – opportunities to build business networks and include a leisure extension before or after the official programme.

Gebbie has shortlisted more emerging Asian cities to watch for the most rapid or interesting hotel developments over the next 12 to 24 months: Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan and Kunming in China, “which are already large enough to be considered secondary-gateway markets in their own right”; Jaipur, Goa and Indore in India, which are “riding the broader India pipeline surge”; Danang in Vietnam; and Bali and Batam in Indonesia.

Encouraging meetings flow
Onyx Hospitality Group, which owns and manages a portfolio of hotels and resorts across Asia-Pacific, recognises the influence hotel developments have on a city’s ability to compete for international business events.

Its vice president, global sales, Sunny Kim, told TTGmice: “The presence of an internationally recognised hotel brand helps give organisers greater confidence when considering an emerging destination.”

Hailing the company’s philosophy of Thai Roots, Global Perspective and Regional Focus, Kim said Onyx Hospitality Group believes that bringing internationally recognised hospitality standards into emerging destinations not only enhances the guest experience but also helps raise service standards, develop local talent, create employment opportunities, and support the long-term growth of the hospitality ecosystem within each destination.

“As a regional hospitality management company, we see every new hotel as being more than an addition to our portfolio. It is an opportunity to support destination development, strengthen confidence among meeting organisers, and contribute to the sustainable growth of the destinations where we operate. This also supports our long-term vision of becoming the best medium-sized hospitality management company in Asia-Pacific,” stated Kim.

Onyx Hospitality Group’s developments in the region have spread into emerging destinations that are being earmarked by local government for economic development. Its presence spans established destinations such as Thailand’s Bangkok and Pattaya as well as Malaysia’s Penang to emerging destinations such as Thailand’s Bangsaen and Lao’s Vientiane.

Kim said these hotels promise the same international standards, professional event support and tailored hospitality experience, while delivering the distinctive character of each destination.

In planning its properties’ meetings capabilities, Kim shared that careful consideration is paid to the role of each hotel, its location and market demand.

She said: “For example, within our Amari brand, which is positioned as a full-service hotel, our portfolio includes city MICE hotels, urban resorts and leisure resorts. Regardless of whether a property is located in a major city or an emerging destination, we provide meeting and event facilities that are appropriate to the property’s positioning and the needs of the local market.

“Hotels in city centres, where accessibility and corporate demand are typically higher, generally feature larger ballrooms and a wider range of meeting spaces to accommodate conferences and large-scale events. Meanwhile, our resort properties are designed to support executive meetings, incentive groups, social celebrations and mid-sized corporate gatherings, where delegates can combine business with leisure experiences.”

Kim recognises that the hotel alone may not sway an event to an emerging or lesser-known city. “Event organisers need confidence that the destination has the local expertise, trusted partners, and operational capabilities to deliver a seamless experience from planning through to execution.”

Thus, Onyx Hospitality Group emphasises its deep understanding of the destinations it operates in as well as the ability of its people in providing practical advice and tailored support throughout the event planning process.

She detailed: “We place great emphasis on developing local talent, as we believe local teams have the best understanding of their destinations, from cultural nuances and guest expectations to trusted local suppliers and destination experiences. At the same time, being a regional hospitality management company allows us to share expertise and operational support across our network whenever needed, ensuring consistent service standards regardless of location.”

Sales and hotel teams connect clients with reliable local partners, and recommend experiences that reflect the character of each destination.

“Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that organisers choosing destinations such as Bangsaen, Vientiane or Penang feel the same level of confidence they would expect in more established MICE destinations, supported by Onyx’s regional expertise, international standards and genuine local hospitality.”

Fresh and new
The shift in hotel development into new and emerging destinations is timely, event planners tell TTGmice. Organisations are looking beyond traditional gateway cities for locations that deliver more differentiated, experience-led programmes aligned with business objectives.

A BCD Meetings & Events spokesperson explained that the shift in destination preferences is driven by the need to maximise value, enhance attendee engagement, and align destination choice more closely with programme goals.

Eunice Lee, associate director, event solutions at BCD Meetings & Events, said: “We’re increasingly proposing non-traditional resort destinations such as Okinawa (Japan), Khao Lak (Thailand) and Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), as clients are looking for more unique, experience-led programmes. There’s a clear shift towards an exploration mindset.”

Non-gateway cities, such as South Korea’s Busan and Jeju, are favoured for smaller meetings, particularly in industries such as life sciences, according to Xinling Yap, regional account director-APAC at BCD Meetings & Events.

Greer Cash, event operations manager – Australia, BCD Meetings & Events, pointed to Sri Lanka as an “exciting emerging destination for incentives and smaller leadership groups looking for something different”.

Jessie Heng, regional director of Singapore-based MICE Maestro, agreed that the decision to meet in a non-gateway city is often strategic in nature – a combination of objectives, delegate experience, and destination suitability.

Heng added: “Emerging cities often provide authentic local culture, distinctive venues, and opportunities that participants may not otherwise experience on their own. For incentive programmes in particular, exclusivity and novelty are becoming increasingly important. Travellers today are well-travelled, and many have already visited major capital cities multiple times.”

Event planners agree that the sense of novelty is a strong competitive advantage for secondary and tertiary cities that are fighting for business against their well-established gateway sisters.

Amit Mandpe, head of corporate incentives – India at BCD Meetings & Events, observed that destinations like Thailand’s Phuket, Indonesia’s Bali and Sri Lanka’s Bentota “offer a compelling balance of functionality and character, allowing programmes to feel more immersive”.

Yap added that emerging destinations boast more nature and culture-led environments, which allow attendees to connect better while experiencing more than just the meeting programme.

Having successfully delivered events in several emerging or non-capital cities, including Cebu, Philippines; Brisbane, Australia; and Xi’an, China, MICE Maestro is now exploring destinations such as Inner Mongolia for future corporate incentive travel programmes.

Heng opined that non-gateway cities also offer greater support and flexibility.

“Emerging destinations are often highly motivated to attract international business events. As a result, destination partners, hotels, convention bureaus and suppliers tend to be more collaborative, responsive, and willing to customise solutions. This flexibility can be extremely valuable when designing bespoke programmes or accommodating unique client requirements.”

Furthermore, emerging destinations may offer a more relaxed environment with less traffic congestion, shorter transfer times, and venues that are easier to navigate.

“This can improve the overall delegate experience while simplifying event logistics,” she reflected.

Cost considerations
Another advantage that secondary and tertiary cities wield, according to Heng, is the stronger value proposition.

“With the same event budget, organisers can often secure higher-quality hotels, more unique venues, enhanced dining experiences, or additional programme elements that would be significantly more expensive in major capital cities. It enables organisers to deliver a more premium experience without increasing overall expenditure,” she said.

However, BCD Meetings & Events’ event specialists warned of the need to scrutinise costs and savings.

“Although some destinations are more affordable in terms of accommodation, additional costs such as freight and production can make the overall budget comparable to primary cities,” noted Lee.

Mandpe added that savings from cheaper hotels and venues “can narrow if access is indirect or specialist production needs to be brought in”.

Practical evaluation
Before leaping into the embrace of somewhere fresh and new, events planners should consider several key factors that could make or break the programme.

Sharing her checklist with TTGmice, Heng said: “Air access remains one of the most important decision factors. Limited international flight connections, infrequent schedules, or complicated transit requirements can increase travel time, costs, and participant fatigue.

“For regional and global conferences, convenient accessibility is often essential to achieving strong attendance.”

Mandpe agreed, adding that secondary cities may be better suited for incentive travel rewards or leadership meetings, and not so much for a large regional event “if connectivity or supplier capacity is limited”.

Heng also warned that some emerging destinations may not yet have the depth of professional production capabilities – particularly in areas such as audiovisual production, lighting, staging, simultaneous interpretation, exhibition services, or large-scale event logistics.

“For conferences with sophisticated production requirements or high-profile gala dinners, organisers need confidence that local suppliers can meet international standards.”

Another consideration is whether the destination can comfortably accommodate the size and profile of the event, which would have a bearing on delegates’ overall experience.

“Finally, organisers should also assess the destination’s readiness to support international events from an operational perspective, including healthcare facilities, emergency response capabilities, language support, and the availability of contingency solutions should unexpected situations arise,” advised Heng.

The operational readiness of emerging destinations takes time, and they “typically gain traction through a progression of milestones – from initial interest driven by novelty and value to stronger adoption as international hotel brands establish a presence and successful event case studies build confidence in their ability to deliver”, noted Minte Wei, associate director, supplier relations, APAC, BCD Meetings & Events.