CHINA. HNA Tourism Group, the tourism business owned by HNA Group, has been named the World’s Leading Integrated Tourism Group at the World Travel Awards (WTA). The accolade came at the WTA Grand Final in El Jadida, Morocco on 12 December. HNA Tourism is the first ever Chinese company to receive the award and is the only company to hold the award at three levels: China, Asia and the World.
HNA Group is a leading player in the emergence of Hainan as a tourism destination and is closely involved in the island’s fast-growing duty free industry.
Award winners announced at the WTA Grand Final were selected by a judging committee made up of tourism industry insiders from more than 180 countries and regions around the world. In addition to HNA Tourism, more than 100 other leading tourism companies were nominated and attended the event.
WTA President and Founder Graham E. Cooke said: “Only last month, in November, I presented two awards, China’s Leading Travel Management Company and Asia’s Leading Integrated Tourism Group, to HNA Tourism. I had been wondering to myself whether the name HNA Tourism would come up again today. Winning these three major awards in 2015 signifies that HNA Tourism’s strength and development potential have been noticed by the industry’s global community. We look forward to HNA Tourism continuing to make outstanding achievements and delivering more excellent travel experiences.”
 |
The award to HNA Tourism builds on the group’s rapid expansion of recent years and on its tie-ups with leading tourism stakeholders worldwide |
Zhang Ling, Member of the Board of Directors of HNA Group and Chairman of HNA Tourism said: “To receive this prestigious WTA award is an important milestone for HNA Tourism. It signifies that we have successfully established ourselves as a key player in the global tourism industry and lays the foundations for further international expansion. We are proud that our integrated business model has been recognised on the global stage and this will inspire us as we continue to grow in markets around the world. To be honoured by WTA as the leading integrated tourism group in China, Asia and now the world is an incredible achievement. The fact that we are the first company from China to do this makes it even more significant.”
This latest award comes near the end of a landmark year for HNA Tourism. It has secured notable investments and strategic partnerships with top-tier international hospitality and tourism groups including NH Hotels, Tsogo Sun Hotels, Red Lion Hotels, Swissport, Kuoni Travel, Hawker Pacific, PVCPGroup and Tuniu.
Founded in Beijing in March 2007, HNA Tourism Group is one of three strategic business of HNA Group, which specialises in tourism investment and assets management. It owns and operates airlines, hotels, travel operators, online services, and tourism investment among other businesses.
In 2014, HNA Tourism had total assets valued at about US$18 billion and an annual turnover of more than US$5 billion. It is the sixth largest tourism group in China.
