H World Group Hosts Nearly 6.3 Million Guests During China's May Day Holiday

Rhea-AI Summary

H World Group (NASDAQ: HTHT) reported strong performance during China's 2025 May Day holiday, hosting nearly 6.3 million guests, a 30% increase from 2024. The company achieved an overall hotel occupancy rate exceeding 84%, with several second-tier cities surpassing 90%. Major cities showed impressive growth, with Guangzhou reaching 88% occupancy (+10% YoY), Shenzhen 87% (+14.5% YoY), and Xi'an 85% (+10.4% YoY).

The company benefited from China's new 240-hour visa-free transit policy, recording over 43,000 international guest stays, a 75% year-on-year increase. This performance aligned with broader industry growth, as China reported 314 million domestic trips (+6.4% YoY) and tourism spending of 180.27 billion yuan (+8.0% YoY) during the holiday period.

Positive

• Guest numbers increased 30% YoY to 6.3 million during the May Day holiday
• Overall hotel occupancy rate exceeded 84%, with several second-tier cities surpassing 90%
• International guest stays surged 75% YoY to 43,000 following visa-free policy implementation
• Strong occupancy growth in major cities: Guangzhou +10%, Shenzhen +14.5%, Xi'an +10.4%

Negative

• None.

Insights

Hospitality Industry Analyst

H World's 30% guest growth dramatically outpaces China's 6.4% tourism increase, with exceptional penetration across city tiers and surging international stays.

The May Day holiday results for H World Group reveal exceptional operational outperformance against broader market indicators. While China's domestic tourism grew by 6.4% with spending up 8.0%, H World's guest numbers surged by 30% to 6.3 million visitors – a growth rate nearly 5 times the national average.

The 84% overall occupancy rate (up 1% year-over-year) stands well above typical hotel industry benchmarks. What's particularly telling is the geographic distribution of this demand. Major cities posted impressive occupancy improvements: Guangzhou (88%, up 10%), Shenzhen (87%, up 14.5%), and Xi'an (85%, up 10.4%). Even more striking is the 90%+ occupancy across multiple second-tier cities and complete sellouts in smaller markets like Bengbu, Liaoyang, and Pingxiang.

This broad-based performance demonstrates H World's effective penetration across China's city-tier hierarchy, capturing both traditional urban tourism and the emerging trend toward less-congested destinations. The standout metric may be the 75% year-over-year increase in international guests to 43,000 stays, directly correlating with China's recent 240-hour visa-free transit policy implementation. This positions H World as an immediate beneficiary of China's reopening to global tourism after years of restricted international travel.

• Hotels under H World brands welcomed nearly 6.3 million guests, up 30% from 2024
• Overall hotel occupancy rate exceeded 84%, with top performing second-tier cities surpassing 90%
• H World recorded over 43,000 international guest stays during the five-day holiday, marking a 75% y-o-y increase following China's adoption of a visa-free transit policy

SHANGHAI, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- H World Group Limited (NASDAQ: HTHT) (HK: 01179) announced that during the 2025 May Day holiday, hotels under its brands received nearly 6.3 million guests, representing a 30% increase compared to the same period last year.

According to the statistics from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, during the five-day holiday, there were 314 million domestic trips made in China, reflecting a 6.4% year-on-year increase. Total domestic tourism spending reached 180.27 billion yuan, marking an 8.0% year-on-year growth.

H World Group's overall hotel occupancy rate exceeded 84%, a 1% year-on-year increase. Hotels in major cities performed strongly, with occupancy rates reaching 88% in Guangzhou, 87% in Shenzhen, and 85% in Xi'an—representing year-on-year growth of 10%, 14.5%, and 10.4% respectively.

Among second-tier cities, locations like Xuzhou, Changchun, Foshan, Ningbo, Nanchang, Nanning, and Wenzhou reported occupancy rates surpassing 90%, reflecting robust domestic travel demand beyond the largest urban centers.

Smaller third- and fourth-tier cities also attracted increasing numbers of leisure travelers seeking a more relaxed experience. Several cities including Bengbu, Liaoyang, and Pingxiang achieved full occupancy.

This year marked the first May Day holiday since the implementation of China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy, driving a significant increase in inbound tourism. H World recorded over 43,000 international guest stays, a 75% year-on-year increase, indicating growing interest from global travelers.

About H World Group Limited

Originated in China, H World Group Limited (NASDAQ: HTHT) (HK: 01179) is a key player in the global hotel industry. H World's brands include HanTing Hotel, JI Hotel, Crystal Orange Hotel, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, MAXX, Jaz in the City, IntercityHotel, Zleep Hotels and Steigenberger Icons. In addition, H World also has the rights as master franchisee for Mercure, Ibis and Ibis Styles, and co-development rights for Grand Mercure and Novotel, in the pan-China region.

For more information, please visit H World's website: https://ir.hworld.com

H World undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law.

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SOURCE H World Group

FAQ

What was H World Group's (HTHT) occupancy rate during the 2025 May Day holiday?

H World Group's overall hotel occupancy rate exceeded 84% during the 2025 May Day holiday, with some second-tier cities surpassing 90%.

How many guests did H World Group (HTHT) host during China's 2025 May Day holiday?

H World Group hosted nearly 6.3 million guests during the 2025 May Day holiday, representing a 30% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

What was the impact of China's visa-free transit policy on H World Group's (HTHT) international bookings?

Following China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy, H World Group recorded over 43,000 international guest stays during the May Day holiday, a 75% year-on-year increase.

Which cities showed the highest occupancy rates for H World Group (HTHT) during the 2025 May Day holiday?

Among major cities, Guangzhou reached 88%, Shenzhen 87%, and Xi'an 85%. Several second-tier cities including Xuzhou, Changchun, Foshan, Ningbo, Nanchang, Nanning, and Wenzhou exceeded 90% occupancy.