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太阳马戏团、其他全球文化旅游巨头将加快在华扩张步伐 2026-11-10
International culture and tourism companies, including Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, have unveiled plans to expand their business in China at the Ninth International Import Expo in Shanghai.
Cirque du Soleil has partnered with Shanghai Great World and Damai Entertainment Holdings to bind its intellectual property with Chinese cultural and tourism ticketing platforms and bring the Kurious tour to China next July, marking the Canadian entertainment giant’s return to the country after 10 years, Executive Vice Chairman Daniel Lamarre told Yicai.
Cirque du Soleil chose to work with Chinese partners for its return to China because they have a deep understanding of the Chinese market and can strike a chord with local consumers, Lamarre said, adding that unlike residency shows years ago, the firm will adopt a tour model this time.
But in the long run, Cirque du Soleil surely hopes to have opportunities for residency shows in China in the future, according to Lamarre.
In his view, China is an important target market, and the rapid development of the Chinese culture and tourism market and growing consumer enthusiasm for performances are all future business opportunities for the company.
Cirque du Soleil is collaborating with Chinese art schools and will have more local performers participating in shows in the future, Lamarr said. The firm set up an office in China many years ago to cut communication costs and strengthen training and cooperation with Chinese talent.
The Chinese tourism market has shown sustained vitality, providing long-term development space for international hotel groups. InterContinental Hotels Group said at the CIIE that it had nearly 400 hotels in China when the first CIIE was held in 2018, and now has 1,000 in more than 200 cities.
IHG’s cycle for opening 100 new hotels has been shortened to less than one year. Hotel rooms in China account for about 20 percent of the firm’s global total, and hotel rooms under construction make up more than one-third, making China an important market for the firm’s global business layout and future development.
Marriott International also announced that it will soon open its 800th hotel in China, after over 100 new hotel openings this year as of Sept. 30, up over 30 percent from last year. Since 2018, the number of Marriott hotels in China has tripled, with 27 brands across more than 150 cities and destinations.
Marriott remains confident in long-term development in China, and opening its 800th hotel marks another milestone in its business development in China, said Mao Yibing, president of Marriott International China.
The CIIE has directly driven a peak in Shanghai's business travel market. According to data from DTG Corporate Travel, from Nov. 5 to 10, the weekly popularity of hotel bookings in Shanghai jumped nearly 10 times, while that of flight bookings to the city soared about six times.
Source: Yicai Global
