With the debate raging between Pro-Independence and Pro-China supporters in Tibet, some pression groups are now pressing IHG- the umbrella hotel company for Intercontinental and Holiday Inn- to withdraw from an ambitious project to build a 2,000 rooms Intercontinental hotel in Tibet capital Lhasa.
LHASA – Tibet continues to make headlines, still causing headaches to China which is embattled into a PR exercise to show international observers and media about its ‘sincere’ commitment towards the Autonomous Region. Sporadic demonstrations with spectacular desperate gestures of Tibetan monks immolating themselves by fire have been met by strong repression from Chinese authorities.
Pressure from Tibetan campaign groups is also going into another field: tourism. Tibet officially welcomed last year over 10.5 million travellers, up by 20% over 2011. They generate revenues of US$ 1.9 billion. By 2015, China is keen to see further development of tourism with 15 million annual visitors being targeted.
Then, boycotting tourism is then seen as the right weapon to put pressure on China. And the latest casualty is around the future Intercontinental Hotel in Lhasa. The property will have 2,000 rooms and will be the largest luxury international hotel in the Province. It is due to open by 2014. However, it is heavily fought by the Free Tibet movement, which argues that the hotel is a “PR coup for China”. Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren, director of Free Tibet, explains in a statement that, “one of the principle concerns Tibet campaigners have about the proposed InterContinental hotel in Lhasa is that Chinese officials will use its facilities for discussion of further repression of the Tibetan people. What’s clear from this story is that InterContinental either has no control over what takes place on its premises in China or its staff are willing to turn a blind eye. As a signatory to the UN’s Global Compact, InterContinental Hotels Group has pledged not to provide material support for the abuse of human rights”. The group highlights that the facility could also turn into a major prostitution centre, putting further pressure on Tibetans.
Overdevelopment of tourism in Tibet- they are major projects going on such as highways construction, shopping malls, hotels and even a Us$ 4.5 billion theme park about Tibetan culture is likely to further erode the region unique heritage and culture. It would also further dilute the identity of Tibet with an expected influx of human resources from the rest of China.
IHG already hold a meeting with Tibetan support groups after the plans were first announced in 2010, explaining that they will implement “their commitments to human rights and creating local economic opportunity very seriously. All IHG employees have signed on to our code of ethics and business conduct and our human rights policy”.
Free Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet are however not being convinced and are spearheading an international boycott campaign of InterContinental hotels. Launched in May this year, it translates into demonstrations taken place outside InterContinental hotels. This happened already in London, New York and most recently in Paris.
Beijing has been rejected any criticism of poor human rights record in the region, arguing that it has heavily invested into the autonomous province to raise incomes and lift local people out of poverty. According to china press agency Xinhua, the average urban household income rose to CNY 18,000 in 2011 (US$ 3,000) from just under CNY 12,000 (US$ 2,000) in 2007.
In the current confrontation, IHG is however the most likely to be the victim with its image being seriously tarnished as long as the boycott goes on and public!
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
