According to a recent count, China has 2.7 million hotel rooms and although the nation’s economic growth has cooled somewhat in recent months, there is no reason to believe that this number will not continue to increase.

Moreover, some areas of China (such as Shanghai) have continued their expansion. By one estimate the number of hotel rooms in China is expected to grow to 9.1 million by 2039.

In addition to outlining the scope of China’s hotel industry this white paper points to the potential for and the importance of the industry improving the sustainability of its operations, particularly regarding carbon emissions, energy, and water consumption.

Because the key is to include sustainability in hotel planning and design from a project’s outset, we discuss both the barriers and opportunities for China’s hotel industry to improve its sustainability.

This report is now available for download from The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), Cornell University - School of Hotel Management.

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