Amidst global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, hotel operators across Asia Pacific have revealed a cautiously optimistic outlook in 2026, predicting GOP to increase between 2-6% y-o-y. Therein, Vietnam has been identified by operators as the regional standout in terms of profitability growth in 2026 relative to 2025, reinforced by a strong 6% growth forecast in GOP. In the M&A market, the Hong Kong-based Jardine Matheson announced that its unit would buy the rest of the shares of Mandarin Oriental International it does not already own, valuing the luxury hotel group at US $4.2 billion. Besides, South Korean hospitality group Sono International acquired Cross Hotels & Resorts from Australia's Flight Centre Travel Group.