Marriott International announced plans Thursday to significantly expand its presence in the global marketplace with the addition of more than 30,000 new hotel rooms in countries such asIndia and China. The Bethesda-based company will also add tens of thousands of hotel rooms to it’s U.S. and Canadian portfolio.
Despite the expansion Marriott has no plans to hire additional employees in its corporate headquarters, said Stephanie Hampton, a spokeswoman for the company.
Marriott made the announcement at a day-long investors conference in Paris, where J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO, and other executives outlined the company’s global strategy.
“The lodging industry is a global business and three factors dominate it: global wealth, demographics and trade,” Marriot said.
The global tourism industry is expected to generate more than $6 billion in revenue this year, according to figures from the World Travel & Tourism Council, with China expected to lead the world in tourism growth through 2016. Marriott currently has 30 hotels in China.
Marriott’s global expansion will include a number of its brands, such as Courtyard by Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton. About 400 of Marriott’s 2,800 hotels are located outside the U.S. In addition to China and India, Marriott will focus on building out in Asia, as well as in Africa and the Middle East. For example, the company has plans for a 274-room high-end JW Marriott in Algeria and several hotels in Qatar.
In the U.S. and Canada, Marriott has plans to buy and convert existing hotels to its own brands. All told, there will be an additional 85,000 to 100,000 Marriott hotel rooms around the world by 2009 for a total of 600,000 rooms.
