China Policy Update — 5 August 2026

policy • 5 August 2026

According to current industry and brand updates, **China’s tourism infrastructure is still adding new hotel stock fast**, with the strongest activity concentrated around transport-linked city clusters and major leisure destinations.[1][6] For Australian travellers, the most practical takeaway is that more **mid-scale to upscale options** are opening near high-speed rail hubs, airports and mixed-use districts, which usually improves convenience for short city stays and multi-stop itineraries.[1] **IHG** says it had **118 openings in Greater China in 2025** and **178 signings in 2025**, while its development pages show recent openings across key travel markets such as **Shanghai, Chengdu, Yibin, Sanya and Qingdao**.[2] The same page lists **918 open hotels** in Greater China, and IHG also highlights further openings planned in the second half of 2026, signalling continued expansion across business and leisure destinations.[2][15] Market data suggests the broader pipeline remains very large: Lodging Econometrics reported **3,602 hotel projects and 640,328 rooms** in China at Q1 2026, with **71% of projects under construction**, and forecast **1,111 hotel openings by year-end 2026**.[6] Separate industry analysis also notes that **second- and third-tier cities** are seeing a construction wave because rail and airport upgrades are shortening travel times, while **Chengdu, Hangzhou and Wuhan** are among the leading pipeline markets.[1]

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