WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UNITE HERE announced today the launch of MarriottChinaObserver.org, a new investigative website, to provide research and analysis on Marriott International’s activities in China.
China is the world’s biggest spender on international tourism and a critical player in the global travel industry. A full 20% of the hotel rooms in development worldwide last year were in China.
Marriott, the world’s largest hotel company, has placed a big bet on China. The company plans to nearly double the number of hotel rooms it had in China at the end of 2017. But Marriott encountered unexpected headwinds in its efforts to realize its Chinese ambitions.
In January, China’s Cyberspace Administration demanded that Marriott temporarily shut its website and mobile app to Chinese residents after the company sent out an email survey that that suggested Marriott disagreed with China’s position on its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Marriott’s Chinese website was unavailable for at least two months – and does not allow Chinese residents to book travel through the website.
Marriott China Observer’s first article chronicles the events that led to Marriott’s Chinese website being shut down, and tracks the fallout from that incident in China and the U.S. Future reports will dissect Marriott’s in-country partnerships, growth plans, and leadership.
In the current international trade environment, investors need to be able to separate rhetoric from reality. Marriott China Observer offers research and analysis that carefully looks at the risks and opportunities Marriott faces in China.
About UNITE HERE
MarriottChinaObserver.org is maintained by the UNITE HERE Research Department. UNITE HERE represents 270,000 members working in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries in the U.S. and Canada.