Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport, Tracking Traffic

Daniel Hellberg

Asian Equities Analyst, Logistics & Transport

Tracking Traffic

Focusing on Asian logistics, transportation, and travel companies

Equity Bottom-Up

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Outbound Chinese travel demand remained weak in September, despite Macau doubling Chinese inbound traffic (again). Activity from China into most regional destinations remained comatose.
Domestic Chinese travel demand continued its recovery in September, and one metric even showed a modest YoY improvement. Other measures showed activity still far below year-ago levels. 
However, data also show that average domestic air segment length remains depressed, and this suggests consumers remain cautious regarding leisure travel.
We continue to expect only a gradual recovery in tourism and travel demand over the next few months.




Outbound Chinese travel demand remained weak in September, despite Macau doubling Chinese inbound traffic (again). Activity from China into most regional destinations remained comatose.
Domestic Chinese travel demand continued its recovery in September, and one metric even showed a modest YoY improvement. Other measures showed activity still far below year-ago levels. 
However, data also show that average domestic air segment length remains depressed, and this suggests consumers remain cautious regarding leisure travel.
We continue to expect only a gradual recovery in tourism and travel demand over the next few months.

TRACKING TRAFFIC/Chinese Tourism: Outbound: Comatose | Domestic: Fewer, Shorter Trips = New Normal?

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

Before Covid19 shut down outbound Chinese tourism in 2020, there were the mass protests in Hong Kong, which sharply reduced Mainland visits to its largest outbound destination in 2019.Before the Hong Kong protests, there was a drowning incident in Thailand in 2018 that killed dozens of Chinese visitors and sharply reduced travel to another top outbound destination. And before the Phuket accident came political disputes with Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, all of which temporarily reduced Chinese tourist visits to these important regional destinations. Taken together, these disruptions have undermined outbound Chinese travel demand and added to volatility.And what about Chinese domestic travel demand?Pre-Covid19, domestic tourism growth was flagging, and though it's been less volatile than outbound demand, Chinese domestic travel certainly has not been immune to demand shocks either (viruses, the partial displacement of air travel by high speed rail, etc.).We simply don't think investing in the growth of Chinese tourism is the "no-brainer" that many market participants seem to think it is. Between moderating growth rates and a series of external demand shocks, there have been few periods of sustained strong (10%+) demand growth in recent years. In our view, Chinese tourism can no longer be viewed as a growth industry.

Before Covid19 shut down outbound Chinese tourism in 2020, there were the mass protests in Hong Kong, which sharply reduced Mainland visits to its largest outbound destination in 2019.Before the Hong Kong protests, there was a drowning incident in Thailand in 2018 that killed dozens of Chinese visitors and sharply reduced travel to another top outbound destination. And before the Phuket accident came political disputes with Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, all of which temporarily reduced Chinese tourist visits to these important regional destinations. Taken together, these disruptions have undermined outbound Chinese travel demand and added to volatility.And what about Chinese domestic travel demand?Pre-Covid19, domestic tourism growth was flagging, and though it's been less volatile than outbound demand, Chinese domestic travel certainly has not been immune to demand shocks either (viruses, the partial displacement of air travel by high speed rail, etc.).We simply don't think investing in the growth of Chinese tourism is the "no-brainer" that many market participants seem to think it is. Between moderating growth rates and a series of external demand shocks, there have been few periods of sustained strong (10%+) demand growth in recent years. In our view, Chinese tourism can no longer be viewed as a growth industry.  

Is Chinese Tourism Really a 'Growth' Industry?

Chinese media reports Chinese tourism activity during the long Golden Week + National Day holiday period declined by about 21% YoY to 637 mn person-visits. Spending on tourism during the period reportedly fell by 28% YoY to 466 bn RMB. 
Some observers are suggesting these numbers show a strong continued recovery in tourism demand since activity collapsed in Q1 this year due to the Covid19 pandemic.
But we disagree.
In our view, the headline 2020 Golden Week+ numbers we have seen so far are not as strong as we would have expected, given a number of factors that actually should have flattered this year's overall activity and spending numbers. 
A closer analysis of the numbers actually suggests tepid tourism demand, in our opinion, and we do not believe the recovery has gained momentum in October.

Chinese media reports Chinese tourism activity during the long Golden Week + National Day holiday period declined by about 21% YoY to 637 mn person-visits. Spending on tourism during the period reportedly fell by 28% YoY to 466 bn RMB. 
Some observers are suggesting these numbers show a strong continued recovery in tourism demand since activity collapsed in Q1 this year due to the Covid19 pandemic.
But we disagree.
In our view, the headline 2020 Golden Week+ numbers we have seen so far are not as strong as we would have expected, given a number of factors that actually should have flattered this year's overall activity and spending numbers. 
A closer analysis of the numbers actually suggests tepid tourism demand, in our opinion, and we do not believe the recovery has gained momentum in October.  

China's 'Golden Week': Headline Tourism Numbers Hardly Shine

Air activity around the region appeared to improve on Friday, October 2nd, with departures from the nine airports we track rising to their highest level since we began monitoring data for this report (early April). As has been the case for the past six months, Mainland Chinese airports continue to lead the recovery, with other origins reporting only modest improvement, if any. 
Weighted average room rates in the cities we track remained well above Spring and Summer lows, but fell by 3% compared to a month ago. This is not surprising; despite the improvement in travel activity over the past few months, we doubt many hotels have regained substantial pricing power. 
Overall, the data we collected this week appears to confirm existing trends: Chinese domestic travel activity continues to improve, but regional activity remains far below year-ago levels. Pure Chinese domestic plays, whether transport or hotels, should continue to recover ahead of names exposed to cross-border travel, which still faces a multitude of Covid19-related restrictions.

Air activity around the region appeared to improve on Friday, October 2nd, with departures from the nine airports we track rising to their highest level since we began monitoring data for this report (early April). As has been the case for the past six months, Mainland Chinese airports continue to lead the recovery, with other origins reporting only modest improvement, if any. 
Weighted average room rates in the cities we track remained well above Spring and Summer lows, but fell by 3% compared to a month ago. This is not surprising; despite the improvement in travel activity over the past few months, we doubt many hotels have regained substantial pricing power. 
Overall, the data we collected this week appears to confirm existing trends: Chinese domestic travel activity continues to improve, but regional activity remains far below year-ago levels. Pure Chinese domestic plays, whether transport or hotels, should continue to recover ahead of names exposed to cross-border travel, which still faces a multitude of Covid19-related restrictions.

TRACKING TRAFFIC's Travel Tracker Dashboard (October 2): Air Activity Improves | Room Rates Stagnate

Asia gaming and consumer discretionary analyst

Michael Ting

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shangri-la-asia-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19690:1" rel="noopener">Shangri La Asia (69 HK)</a>'s share price is near levels we haven't seen since 2003. We met with management recently to get an update on business fundamentals to see if the stock is worth buying at current levels especially with the return of domestic tourism in China.Our key takeaway is that headwinds remain for the stock to see sustainable upside in the near term. However, one key catalyst is the re-opening of the border between Mainland and Hong Kong which could result in increased business and higher end leisure travel to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is roughly 33% of the company's net profit within a normalized year. Any news on Mainland-Hong Kong border relaxation could result in short term share price appreciation in our view.

Shangri La Asia (69 HK)'s share price is near levels we haven't seen since 2003. We met with management recently to get an update on business fundamentals to see if the stock is worth buying at current levels especially with the return of domestic tourism in China.Our key takeaway is that headwinds remain for the stock to see sustainable upside in the near term. However, one key catalyst is the re-opening of the border between Mainland and Hong Kong which could result in increased business and higher end leisure travel to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is roughly 33% of the company's net profit within a normalized year. Any news on Mainland-Hong Kong border relaxation could result in short term share price appreciation in our view.

Shangri La Asia: Watch Out for This One Event

Hong Kong

SJM Holdings Limited offers amusement and recreation services.  The Company operates casinos, hotels, and other tourism-related facilities in Macau.

Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited develops, owns, and operates casinos. The Company offers casino gaming, restaurants, bars, and resorts facilities. Melco Resorts & Entertainment serves customers in Asia.

Wynn Macau, Limited owns and operates Wynn Macau, a destination casino resort currently featuring hotel rooms and suites, a casino, casual and fine dining restaurants, retail space and leisure amenities.

Melco International Development Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates investment banking, financial services, technology, fine-dining, leisure and tourism, property investment, and investment businesses. The Company carries on financial service businesses under the VC CFN and VC CEF brand names.  Melco also customizes and sells trading and back office systems under the iAsia name.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates and manages hotels, food, beverage outlets, and clubs. The Company also invests in properties.

China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates tourist attractions, golf clubs, hotels, and other travel related activities.  The Company also provides passenger transportation as well as freight forwarding and cargo services.

China Travel International Investment Hong Kong (308 HK)

China Travel International Investment Hong Kong

Miramar Hotel and Investment Company Limited, through its subsidiaries, invests in, develops, and sells properties. The Company also owns and manages hotels, operates food and beverage business, and provides travel services.

Cafe De Coral Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates quick service restaurants, fast casual dining, institutional catering and specialty restaurant chains, and food manufacturing business.

Fosun Tourism Group operates as a leisure focused integrated tourism group. The Company provides resorts management, tourism destinations development, and other related services. Fosun Tourism Group offers its services worldwide.

Regal Hotels International Holdings Limited owns and operates hotels.  The Company also manages and invests in real estate properties as well as invests in and trades financial instruments and marketable securities.  In addition, Regal hotel operates brewery, operates restaurants, and provides travel and florist and wedding services.

Skylark Co. Ltd. mainly operates a family restaurant chain across Japan.  The Company offers Japanese-style, Western-style, and Asia-style foods for a wide variety of targeted customer segments.  Skylark also sells food and provides delivery servies.

Domino's Pizza Enterprises Limited is a franchise licence owner of the Domino's Pizza. The Company sits in the quick service restaurant segment within fast food retail and has a license which covers Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and the Principality of Monaco. The Domino's brand is owned by Domino's Pizza, Inc, a listed US company.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation is a worldwide developer, marketer, seller and manager of vacation ownership resorts and vacation club, destination club and exchange programs, principally under the "Marriott" and "Ritz-Carlton" brands and trademarks, which we license from Marriott International and Ritz-Carlton.

Genting Malaysia Berhad operates a tourist resort in Genting Highlands which includes hotels, restaurants, casinos, and recreational and amusement facilities. Through its subsidiaries, the Company also develops and leases property, operates leisure and hospitality services, and provides time share ownership scheme.

NagaCorp Limited is a leisure and tourism company with casino operations in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. The Company also offers hotel accommodation, manages food and beverage outlets, recreational facilities, entertainmentand retail operations.

Mandarin Oriental International Limited is an owner and operator of luxury hotels, resorts, and residences. The Group now operates, or has under development, hotels in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and North Africa. Mandarin Oriental International also operates, or has under development, residences at Mandarin Oriental.

Mandarin Oriental International (MAND SP)

Penn National Gaming, Inc. owns and operates Charles Town Races in West Virginia which features slot machines, casinos in Mississippi, and a riverboat gaming facility in Louisiana.  The Company also owns racetracks and off-track wagering facilities in Pennsylvania, as well as manages a gaming facility in the Province of Ontario, Canada.

EIH Limited owns and operates luxury hotels and resorts in India under the name "Oberoi."  The Company also manages a mid-price hotel chain in India, in addition to hotels in Egypt, Australia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

TORIDOLL Holdings Corporation operates a variety of restaurants such as skewered grill chicken, Japanese noodle, ramen noodle, Japanese-style pancake, and pasta restaurants.  The Company operates its business at food courts in shopping centers, stations, highway rest areas, and suburbs.

Kangwon Land Inc. is a casino and hotel services provider located in the Kangwon province area of South Korea.  The Company develops abandoned mines and builds gaming and entertainment facilities.  Kangwon Land operates a number of game tables and slot machines for domestic and international customers under its gaming licenses.

Shangri-La Asia Limited, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates hotels, and provides management and related services.  The Company also leases offices, commercial, residential and exhibition hall space.

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Shangri-La Asia (69 HK)

TRACKING TRAFFIC/Chinese Tourism: Outbound: Comatose | Domestic: Fewer, Shorter Trips = New Normal?

September numbers show almost non-existent outbound travel but a continued gradual recovery in domestic travel demand. Shorter average domestic air...

Tracking Traffic

Is Chinese Tourism Really a 'Growth' Industry?

The effects of the Covid19 pandemic aside, we believe strong (10%+) growth in underlying Chinese tourism demand is becoming more elusive.

Tracking Traffic

China's 'Golden Week': Headline Tourism Numbers Hardly Shine

Contrary to some, we do not believe headline tourism numbers from the recent Golden Week suggest improving conditions in China's domestic travel...

Tracking Traffic

TRACKING TRAFFIC's Travel Tracker Dashboard (October 2): Air Activity Improves | Room Rates Stagnate

what happened of note? air activity in china and elsewhere hotel room rates conclusions

Tracking Traffic

Shangri La Asia: Watch Out for This One Event

Shangri La Asia (69 HK)

Michael Ting

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