Shangri-La And Charging Regular Rates To Chinese Businesses

"By the year 2020, it is expected there will be more than 100 million Chinese travelers," he said. "Can you imagine the impact? Japan has made a tremendous impact in the industry and it never reached more than 17 million travelers.

"If you go back 30 years ago," Angelini continued, China is "exactly the way the Japanese were, traveling in groups around a little flag, negotiating the lowest rate. But look where the Japanese are now: in top hotels and big spenders. The Chinese market will be much stronger and develop much faster."