Global Hospitality on the Rise: GHA Reports Double-Digit Growth in 2025 as International Travel Booms

The global hotel industry continues to show strong momentum. In the third quarter of 2025, Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) — one of the world’s largest alliances of independent hotel brands — reported an 18% increase in total revenues year-on-year, driven by international travel recovery and record engagement in its GHA DISCOVERY loyalty program.

Recovery Driven by Global Travel Demand

GHA, which unites 40 independent hotel brands including Kempinski, Minor Hotels, Corinthia, NH Hotels, Pan Pacific, and Omni Hotels & Resorts, recorded US$813 million in total revenues in Q3 2025. Room revenue grew 19%, reaching US$657 million.

The number of room nights sold rose by 19%, with international bookings accounting for 66% of all stays. Year-to-date, total revenues have reached US$2.3 billion, compared with US$2 billion during the same period in 2024.

Top Performing Markets and Destinations

The leading destinations by stay revenue were Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom, followed by Singapore and Thailand. The United States and United Kingdom remained the top two feeder markets, posting revenue growth of 16% and 32%, respectively.

Other strong source markets included Australia, China, and Germany.
Travel trends revealed distinct regional preferences:

U.S. travelers favored the UK, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

UK travelers primarily chose Portugal, Spain, and the UAE.

German travelers preferred nearby destinations — the Netherlands, Spain, and Thailand.

Australians favored Singapore, Fiji, and Indonesia.

Chinese travelers stayed mostly within Asia — Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, and Thailand.

GHA DISCOVERY: A New Era of Traveler Loyalty

By the end of Q3, membership in GHA DISCOVERY surpassed 32 million. New enrollments rose by 38%, while redemptions of the program’s digital currency — DISCOVERY Dollars (D$) — increased by 39%.

Members can use 1 D$ = US$1 for hotel stays, dining, and services.
Cross-brand bookings — when members stay at a hotel from a different GHA brand — generated US$109 million in Q3, up 9% year-on-year. Year-to-date, cross-brand revenues reached US$306 million, marking an 11% increase compared with 2024.

Outlook: Steady Growth and Strong Foundations for 2026

GHA CEO Chris Hartley emphasized that these results demonstrate the resilience of the alliance model:

“Our strong third-quarter performance highlights the continued strength of the GHA model and the impact of GHA DISCOVERY in driving incremental, largely international demand across our brands.”

The company expects record levels of member engagement and revenue by the end of 2025, setting a strong foundation for 2026.

What It Means for the Global Hospitality Market

GHA’s success reflects the wider recovery of global tourism. After several volatile years, international travel is stabilizing, with loyalty programs emerging as a key driver of customer retention and repeat bookings.

The surge in cross-brand stays indicates that travelers value unique yet connected experiences — preferring diversity within trusted standards. For independent hotel groups, GHA’s model provides the scale and distribution power of a global chain without sacrificing brand individuality.

According to analysts at International Investment, GHA’s performance is a clear indicator of the global hotel market’s recovery and a preview of its evolution in 2026:

“The alliance’s strong financial results confirm that international travel is back on a stable growth path. Flexible alliance models and loyalty ecosystems like GHA DISCOVERY will become the cornerstone of hospitality in the coming year,” experts noted.