BEIJING -- HNA Tourism, the HNA Group unit focusing on the travel and lifestyle industry, has pledged to provide higher-standard services to meet Chinese people's aspiration to live a better life in a new era, said Zhao Quan, chairman and CEO of HNA Tourism.
Zhao said his group is paving the way to cater for the latest developments in the travel and tourist aviation sectors, which will bring it many more business opportunities.
HNA Tourism - which boasts heavyweight subsidiaries including Hainan Airlines, the fourth largest carrier in China, Capital Airlines, West Air, HNA Hospitality Group and HNA-Caissa Tourism Group - said it is committed to providing its customers with integrated services in aviation, hospitality, tourism and catering.
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China took place in October, and the group sees it a landmark event that will guide its flourishing business going forward.
HNA Tourism organized a series of activities related to the congress, including a Party member conference and knowledge competitions, to let its staff understand better the congress.
A top priority for HNA Tourism at present is to learn what the congress was all about and to practice its essence in its daily operations, according to Zhao.
"HNA Tourism takes the 19th CPC National Congress as the spiritual power to support us to achieve more in the upcoming business upgrade," Zhao said.
In 1935, the Red Army took over the prefecture-level city of Zunyi in Guizhou province, where the Communist Party of China held an important meeting to affirm Mao Zedong's role as the core leader of the Party and the army.
On Nov 29, 2017, on a flight from Tianjin to Zunyi, Tianjin Airlines, a subsidiary of HNA Tourism, organized a themed event.
The cabin staff sang old songs for passengers, to celebrate that time and pass on the massages of the 19th National Congress of the CPC.
Similar activities on 12 flights operated by nine airlines under HNA Tourism ran from November to December 2017.
The report of the 19th CPC National Congress identified that by focusing its energy on implementing its innovation-driven development strategy, China has accomplished much toward making it a country of innovators, with major advances made in science and technology.
Zhao said that for a company, innovation is the impetus to keep it moving forward.
Only if a company understands the power of innovation, can it keep advancing generations of its products and services and adapt, survive and flourish the fierce competition of the marketplace.
Given that imperative, HNA Tourism said it will adhere to core innovative values and keep evolving to adjust to the changes in the external environment, Zhao said.
HNA Tourism will focus on the principles of innovation in its future development, try to create an atmosphere of innovation and stimulate the creativity of its working staff and groups, he added.
"We will constantly improve our daily management, technological development and business model, continue to take the lead in the development of our industry and pave the way for a unique path in innovation," Zhao said.
HNA Tourism has made solid achievements in innovation during the last few years. Currently it is eyeing the industrial upgrade, which it takes as a key point in its innovation.
At present, a large number of customers are fans of the fast, reliable and customized online travel platform. And HNA Tourism has accumulated a great deal of offline resources through years of investment and purchase.
It has invested and managed more than 19 airline companies and 8,000 hotels around the world. The total number of its hotel rooms tops 1.2 million, according to the company.
HNA Tour ism is also shareholder of some world renowned hotel brands, including Hilton, Carlson, Radisson and NH.
HNA Tourism rolled out an online platform on Nov 21 last year - HiApp, which aims to integrate the HNA Group's resources online and offline to provide high-end services in aviation, hospitality, tourism and catering.
In the upcoming years, the platform will launch more than 200 new services.
The new product initiated by HNA Tourism echoes the call by the 19th CPC National Congress to promote the convergence of the internet, big data and artificial intelligence with the real economy.
Like its moves in innovation, expanding its global market position is another big plan on HNA Tourism's to-do list.
Zhao said his company will explore its own development in line with the overall strategy of the country, and roll out new measures to support the Belt and Road Initiative.
In the airline industry, HNA Tourism owns the world-leading catering supplier Gategroup.
It is a shareholder of Brazilian airline Azul, French carrier Aigle Azur, and Virgin Australia as well as a stockholder in Africa World Airlines.
HNA Tourism bought Carlson Hotels in 2016 and in 2015 it purchased a stake in Red Lion Hotels Corp.
Ken Greene, head of the American operations at Carlson Hotels, said HNA already owns a very extensive network of tourism resources overseas.
He believed HNA will continue to successfully implement its global strategy, which is key for the company.
Whether in airports, currency exchanges or duty free shops, HNA has resources covering all of those sectors and it will be beneficial for Carlson Hotels to establish business ties with HNA's subsidiaries, Greene said.
HNA Group, the parent company of HNA Tourism, has transformed itself from a traditional aviation company into a corporate giant whose business spans finance, leasing, hotels and real estate.
Its leaders said the company has its own logic when striding into global markets. "Rooted in China, the overseas investment made by HNA Tourism is in line with Party and state policies," Zhao said.
HNA Tourism has been working on establishing its business in the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as carrying out its social responsibility by practicing environmentally friendly developing strategies, Zhao said. (Source: China Daily )
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