Central Group plans 20 new hotels as Vietnam tourism booms

By Hung Le July 11, 2019 | 06:44 pm PT

A foreign woman walks past the Saigon Opera House, surrounded by several five-star hotels in downtown Saigon. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nguyen.

Thailand’s Central Group plans to open at least 20 new hotels across Vietnam in the next five years.

The Centara Hotels & Resorts chain, part of Central Group, said that targeted destinations include key economic hubs like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hai Phong, and other high-growth areas like Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Cam Ranh and Hoi An.

The company also saw "strong potential" in the southern coastal areas of Vung Tau, Ho Tram and Mui Ne, due to new roads connecting the region with HCMC and the development of a major new airport in nearby Dong Nai province, Centara said.

"Vietnam’s tourism industry enjoyed a great year in 2018 and we expect this to continue for many years to come," said Thirayuth Chirathivat, CEO of Centara Hotels & Resorts.

International visitor arrivals to Vietnam reached a record total of 15.5 million in 2018, the majority of which came from Asia. The country welcomed 8.5 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2019, up 7.5 percent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Positive tourism trends are driving demand for new hotels and resorts. Recent data from hotel industry analysts STR Global shows that over 23,000 new hotel rooms are currently being constructed in Vietnam.

Centara said focus on Vietnam will form an important part of its global growth strategy, which includes the overall goal of doubling its total hotel portfolio by 2022. At present, the company has 71 hotels and resorts either operating or in the pipeline worldwide, comprising over 13,000 rooms.