Hoteliers eye outbound deals for business growth

Mid-range chains expand across Asia, spurred by Chinese tourists

China's express or mid-range hotel brands are rapidly expanding across Asia, propelled by the impressive growth of Chinese outbound tourism.

In 2011, Jinjiang Inn, a major express hotel brand founded in 1996 in Shanghai, took a step toward overseas expansion through partnership with Oishi, a Philippines-based company best-known for its snack brands. This marked the first overseas Chinese express hotel to be built on a grand scale.