Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is expected to expand its China portfolio to 40 properties in 2020, the company's senior vice-president, Claire Chiang, said during a recent roadshow in Beijing.

Chiang, co-founder of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, is in charge of the company's China business development. She is very optimistic about the market, saying "the millennial generation is a robust driver for tourism development".

She signed a contract earlier this month to develop a new property in Tianhetan scenic spot in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province in Southwest China.

The Singaporean now spends six months a year in China.

Tongue in her cheek, she said: "My job is idling away time in pursuit of pleasure."

She explained that means she is always traveling, sightseeing, exploring new food and drink and having fun - "looking for the best sites to open new hotels and resorts".

She is excited to talk about the Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou, slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2016. Located near Jiuzhaigou National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, she said guests will be able to enjoy "a stunning landscape of crystal clear pools, waterfalls and limestone terraces with magnificent mountaintop views".

Chiang said she and her husband discovered the site seven years ago while exploring the mountains, "wearing coir raincoats and carrying sickles".

Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou will be their 11th resort of Banyan Tree in China. The first one, Banyan Tree Ringha, opened in a Tibetan hamlet in Yunnan province's Shangri-La county 11 years ago.

She said "convenient transportation, good public facilities and a sustainable local government master development plan are the major concerns when choosing a location, along with cultural and historical highlights".

Chiang and her husband Ho Kwon Ping founded Banyan Tree in 1994 in Phuket, Thailand. They rehabilitated an area of land previously polluted by tin mining and turned it into the environmentally sensitive Banyan Tree resort.

Now the Banyan Tree group is a leading international operator and developer of premium resorts, hotels, residences and spas, with a collection of award-winning brands.

To date, the Banyan Tree Group has a global portfolio of 43 hotels and resorts, 66 spas, 90 retail galleries, three golf courses, and a destination club with access to over 100 villas around the world and residential sales across seven countries.

The Banyan Tree Group offers investment and lifestyle solutions that enable investors, their families and guests to enjoy bespoke travel experiences across the globe.

Through investment in one or more of the Banyan Tree Lifestyle products, customers enjoy a secure financial investment backed by Banyan Tree Holdings, as well as a range of VIP benefits including access to an ever-growing portfolio of hotels and resorts.

guoyali@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/22/2016 page10)