Dubai: The global travel and hospitality sector is charting a path of steady growth in 2025, with India and China emerging as powerful engines driving the industry’s momentum. Despite global economic caution and geopolitical tensions, industry leaders remain bullish on the opportunities brewing in emerging markets, particularly across Asia and South America.
Chris Hartley, CEO of Dubai-based Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), emphasized the pivotal role of these rising economies. “China took time to bounce back, but it’s now entering full recovery mode. Meanwhile, India’s travel surge is just beginning and holds immense promise,” Hartley noted. He also highlighted untapped potential in Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia and Vietnam, which are quickly transforming into high-demand travel destinations.
While mature regions like Europe and North America continue to deliver stable performance, their growth trajectory is beginning to flatten. Hartley pointed out that in North America, growth in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) for 2025 is forecast at a modest 1%, impacted by inflation, rising operational costs, and policy-driven geopolitical disruptions. Delta Airlines’ recent profit warning reflects these softening trends.
Nevertheless, international travel continues to exhibit strong resilience. Notably, US travel to the UAE remains firm, bolstered by Dubai’s bustling events calendar, including February’s Gulfood expo and April’s vibrant event season. Hartley attributes this continued influx to Dubai’s strategic global positioning and consistent tourism pull.
GHA, the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, is aggressively expanding its footprint. With the recent onboarding of Rotana—adding 80 new properties across the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey—GHA is now closing in on 950 hotels globally and targets hitting 1,000 by 2026.
The alliance’s strategy is clear: grow deeper into high-potential markets. GHA has already welcomed Malaysia’s Sama Hotels, Sri Lanka’s Cinnamon Hotels, and hotel groups in Norway and Greece. The next frontier is India, where GHA currently operates 15 hotels but plans to scale to 100 within the next 3 to 5 years. The rise of domestic hotel brands and India’s outbound travel potential—second only to China—makes it a high-priority region.
Adding further value to its 30 million GHA Discovery loyalty members, the group is set to roll out its first co-branded GHA Discovery credit card in partnership with MasterCard in early 2026. This move will position GHA in the competitive loyalty-fintech space, enhancing consumer engagement and spend across its global network.
“Today’s travelers crave flexible loyalty programs and authentic experiences. Our expansion strategy is focused on meeting those demands, particularly in markets that are shaping the future of global tourism,” Hartley said.
