Asian Hotel Investments Boom

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Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality Group (JLL) has revealed that the total value of hotel transactions in Asia has increased 145% in 2013. In fact, JLL claims the industry is having “its strongest year since the global financial crisis.”

Key markets such as Singapore and Japan are responsible for the growth, according to JLL Hotels & Hospitality’s Mike Batchelor.

“Hotel trading performance in Asia has experienced significant turnaround over the past two years and nowhere more so than in Singapore,” he explained. “This quarter’s landmark transaction of the Grand Park Orchard Hotel and adjoining Knightsbridge retail podium heralded the single largest asset deal in the city’s history. Going forward, we are aware of approximately $1.3 billion in exchanged contracts that will contribute to a very strong pipeline over the remainder of the year.”

Batchelor added, “As investor confidence in the region continues to rally, the availability of investment grade hotels is becoming increasingly scarce and, as a result, we are seeing buyers turn their attention towards markets such as Thailand, Seychelles and the Maldives. The Maldives is proving a particular hot spot where contracts have just been exchanged on what will be our fourth transaction in the country in as little as two years.”

 

Asian Hotel Business Grows as Investment Increases

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According to Jones Lang LaSalle’s most recent report, Asia’s hotel transaction volumes have doubled since last year.

Investments in the tourism markets in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo resulted in a 85% increase from last year, with transaction volumes reaching $1.3 billion during the first half of 2013. Tourism in Thailand and the Maldives also contributed to the surge.

Mike Batchelor of JLL said: “During the first half of 2013, we have seen a growing number of transactions, including those at the portfolio level, and improved investor sentiment translate to increased sales. The divergence between vendor and purchaser expectations that served to restrict investment activity in 2012, has improved this year leading to a number of landmark transactions in the first half.”

“Throughout Asia, we are also aware of circa $400 million in hotel transaction volumes to be confirmed soon and a further $1 billion in due diligence.”

Asian Companies Lead Investment in IT

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According to AT&T, Asian companies are leading in IT investment, surging past their European rivals.

Research that was published by Insead reveals that Asia-Pacific companies are spending the majority of their IT budgets on the newest technologies, including mobile devices and the cloud. The business school explains that investment in emerging technologies like these increases competitiveness significantly.

Insead lists three primary categories: mobile internet-connected devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets; cloud services; and collaboration tools such as conferencing and instant messaging. On the other hand, there is the more traditional side of IT which includes hardware and enterprise software.

Asian companies have revealed their plans to increase their IT budget by 30% before 2015. While European companies also intend to spend more on new technologies, they will not be able to match Asian budgets.

Still, the report warns that Asian companies “must be careful not to rush too quickly to adopt new technologies” without a platform.

AT&T regional vice president Andrew Edison added:

“Increasing productivity is one of the primary challenges facing European companies today. New technologies like cloud offer great opportunities to do this, which some high performers are demonstrating.

“However, simply adopting the newest technologies is not the answer, and is in fact a great risk. The secret is a mature platform and avoiding the creation of ‘infrastructure spaghetti’ in the rush to adopt the latest tools.”

 

Japan, Hong Kong See Gains as U.S. Indexes Hit Record Finishes

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The market reopened this week with the Hang Seng Index 1.6% higher than it was before the holiday. The Nikkei Stock Average also climbed 1.4% in Tokyo, reaching one of its highest levels in over five years.

The increases may be the result of a record finish for the Dow industrials and the S&P 500 as U.S. economic data looks up.

“The share-market rally across the world is putting the ‘don’t chase a rally’ adage to the test, as bourses continue to record territory,” said Matthew Sherwood of Perpetual. “Quality is essential in this market, as prices are distorted, and the foundations aren’t strong.”

Akira Amari, Economy Minister of Japan, has stated that further weakness in the yen may be harmful. As a result, the local currency is rising.

“Japan’s turbo-charged stimulus measures have helped contribute to a solid gross domestic product growth outcome in the first quarter and to the rally in risk assets, but much needs to be done in terms of reforms to help sustain growth,” explained Credit Agricole’s Mitul Kotecha.

 

West Asia Region Projected to Collect $90 Billion by 2020

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A recent survey launched by the Airport Show reveals that the West Asia region has extremely high potential for growth and investment over the next five years. In fact, $90 billion is projected to go into the industry between 2013 and 2020.

The survey, which was held just before the inaugural Global Airport Leaders’ Forum, shows that 64.4% of the respondents voted for the West Asia region. 16.7% voted for Asia Pacific, while Central Asia and African regions won 5.2% of the votes.

The West Asia region is expected to handle 400 million passengers over the next seven years, including 98 million by Dubai airport.

The survey said: “An investment of $90 billion is projected to go into aviationindustry in the Middle East by the year 2020.”

Airport Show event director Daniyal Qureshi stated: “Senior executives from across the international aviation industry have contributed to the survey and we believe the survey results will contribute significantly to the important discussions at the Global Airport Leaders’ Forum and help highlight the key challenges and opportunities industry leaders face today.”

Asian Development Bank President Steps Down

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Asian Development Bank president Haruhiko Kuroda has stepped down from his position to serve as governor of the Bank of Japan. Having worked at ADB for eight years, Kuroda was the longest serving president at the bank.

During a speech, Kuroda said he hopes that the ADB will continue to support Asian countries while taking advantage of growth opportunities and responding well to crises that may arise.

“Much remains to be done in a region still faced with many challenges,” he said. “I have every confidence in ADB’s continued success in addressing them.”

According to P Chidambaram, Indian Finance Minister and Chairman of the ADB Board of Governors, Kuroda played a critical role in the bank’s journey to becoming the region’s leading development institute.

“His extraordinary vision and leadership have enabled ADB to significantly advance its mission of poverty reduction and sustainable economic development in Asia and the Pacific,” he said.

Steven Leonard of EMC On the Big Data Market

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EMC Corporation is a leading IT storage and hardware solutions company that deals with ‘Big Data’, or cloud computing and software services.

The Big Data market is growing rapidly, and is expanding especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Rico Hizon of Asia Business Reports recently discussed the industry with EMC’s Steven Leonard.

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Asia Leads Investments in Watershed Projects

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A new report has revealed that Asia is the leading entity when it comes to investing in and protecting drinking water and other natural resources. The report states that all the region’s countries invested over $8 billion to enhance water security back in 2011.

Conducted by US non-government organization Forest Trends, the “State of Watershed Payments of 2012” study was released last Thursday. It reveals that $7.46 billion were invested in 83 watershed projects in Asia alone.

This approach, known as investments in watershed services, or IWS, considers the natural landscape and the social and economic conditions. These factors often impact the health of the natural environment.

The projects go by other names as well, including payments for watershed services, reciprocal agreements for water, water funds, eco-compensation, benefit-sharing arrangements, source water protection, green infrastructure investments, etc.

Michael Bennett, senior researcher at Forest Trends, explained:

“Growing pressure on limited freshwater resources is one of the factors why there is an increasing trend in watershed investment in Asia and the rest of the world.”

He added that water is especially critical in China, and has a significant impact on their future economic growth.

Real Estate Sector Attracts Investors to Indonesia’s Capital

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China’s real estate market has been booming for quite some time, but new speculations are now pointing investors towards more southern regions.

A real estate forecast by PriceWaterhouseCooper and Urban Land Institute has revealed that Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, will be the top place to purchase property in 2013, with the market surpassing even Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney.

International investors have taken an interest in the region thanks to Indonesia’s remarkable economic turnaround over the past several years.

The survey says:

“Interest rates and inflation are under control, and while GDP is growing at around 6.5% annually, foreign direct investment is increasing at a much higher rate- 39% in the first half of this year. Driven by increased demand from foreigners and locals alike, office rents shot up 29% year-on-year in the third quarter, according to DTZ.”

The city’s growth and rising demand have bumped Jakarta up ten spots since its 2011 ranking. However, PwC warns that the market still has its risks. Inexpensive bank loans are a rarity, and it can be difficult to find a trustworthy partner. Disputed land may also pose a challenge.

 

Asia and Europe Discuss Economic Crises

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As the threat of global economic fallout looms nearer, Asian and European leaders meet to discuss their options.

The meetings, which began in Bangkok this week, come as Asia’s economies begin to buckle under strains from the European debt crisis. Previously viewed as the strong points in a global crisis, the region’s concerns are deepening.

“With the ongoing economic difficulties of some countries in the Eurozone, I believe that our cooperation is even more crucial than ever,” said Kittiratt Na-Ranong, the Thai Finance Minister.

“Because Asia and Europe are closely knitted in terms of international trade and investment, one spark of crisis could cause turmoil in the other side of the world,” he continued.

Europe is dealing with internal arguments as well, amid talks of whether austerity or pro-growth measures will solve the region’s problems. According to a statement from Host Thailand, officials “expect that the European economy will gradually recover from the current crisis.”

Many agreed that the only solution demands that Europe pursue “growth-friendly fiscal consolidation as well as growth enhanced policies and further structural reforms. Ministers stressed the role of emerging economies in the global effort by further strengthening private consumption and implementing structural reforms to help boost domestic demand and growth.”