Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc, the third largest US hotel operator, plans to almost double its properties in Greater China in the next four years as the region attracts more tourists from overseas.

The company aims to have 100 hotels in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan by 2010, from 57 now. Starwood Asia-Pacific vice-president Qian Jin said at a press conference in Shanghai Monday that of the current number, 27 were under construction.

The operator of Westin and Sheraton hotels is expanding in Asia, where international tourist visitors are growing at more than twice the pace of that to the United States or Europe. Rising incomes and economic growth in China are also supporting domestic leisure and business tourism in the world's fastest growing major economy.

"We have seen double-digit growth in China sales and we expect this market to grow by that rate in the coming years,'' Qian said, without giving sales figures.

The number of international tourist visits to Asia rose 7.5 percent in the first four months this year, against 2.7 percent for North America and 2.5 percent for Europe, according to the World Tourism Organisation. Visitor arrivals in China rose 10 percent last year, data from the China National Tourism Administration show.

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