At A Glance

WHA Corporation Public Company Limited (WHA Group) has announced its 2018 total revenue of Bt11.62 billion, inclusive of share of profit from investments in associates and joint ventures, with a net profit of Bt2.90 billion. 
The company’s normalised net profit, excluding the FX impact and extraordinary items, stood at Bt2.91 billion, rising by 2 per cent as a result of an increase in share of profit in associations from power business as well as a surge in water utilities income. 
WHA Group CEO Jareeporn Jarukornsakul revealed that the board approved a 2018 dividend of Bt0.0833 per share, and set an XD date on May 9, 2019 for dividend payment on May 28, 2019. Overall business growth in 2019 is expected to reach more than 70 per cent.
Jareeporn said that the estimate was based on an increase in share of profit from its power business after the completion of five power plants in Q2 2017, bringing the company’s equity MW under operation to 521MW at the end of 2018. 
There also was an increase in demand for water utilities in power plants, resulting in an income increase. In addition, the company improved its efficiency to create value-added products and initiate new product lines, as well as increase the sale proportion of industrial water and clarified water to enhance profit margin. Furthermore, financial expenses decreased significantly by 27 per cent. 
 
Hilton digs into mindset of Chinese travellers 
Hilton has recently revealed results from consumer research projects undertaken by global information and measurement houses, Kantar and Nielsen. By exploring Chinese consumers’ mindset and their rapidly-growing appetite for quality travel experiences, the research paves the way for the introduction of the new Canopy by Hilton brand in China in order to meet rising local demand for lifestyle-driven tourism. The insights were released last week in a Beijing press conference and demonstrate Hilton’s commitment to innovation based on customer engagement.
Through a survey of 1,000 Chinese citizens across different age groups and regions who have stayed in an upscale hotel at least once, the Kantar study identified four new key traits that have emerged among today’s Chinese travellers: 83 per cent of respondents are “keen to explore” different local cultures; 82 per cent enjoy “self-pampering”; 77 per cent are “open” to socialising with locals; and 77 per cent are “self-expressive” by seeking out new experiences.
These traits demonstrate an appetite to dive deep into local culture and pay a premium for rewarding experiences. Travellers also expect hotels to feature a blend of culture, comfort, socialisation and personalisation. 
Additionally, they seek places where unique spaces, special gourmet experiences and customised services come together to define a distinctive lifestyle. 
Against this backdrop, Canopy by Hilton was thoroughly researched to fill a void in the marketplace, with the Canopy by Hilton Chengdu City Centre debut in China targeted to deliver an experiential, neighbourhood-centric hotel category to fulfil Chinese travellers’ needs.