EXCLUSIVE BY JAMES WILKINSON IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Carlson’s President for Asia-Pacific, Simon Barlow, is expecting a good year for the region, particularly in terms of business travel.

“We’ve had a good start, which is good news,” he exclusively told SPICENEWS and sister publication HM on camera at Carlson’s Full Service Brands Business Conference in Chicago, Illinois, recently.

“We’re 6.5% up in RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) terms in January, and that’s a like-for-like against the same period last year, and February is shaping up similar.”

MICE market projections are also good for the region and Barlow said two of the leading lights were China and India, particularly on the back of strong domestic tourism numbers.

To view the interview, click on the image below.