(Yicai Global) Aug. 22 -- InterContinental Hotels Group PLC [LONDON:IHG] outed its core financials for the second quarter and the first half showing impressive performance in Greater China.

InterContinental Hotels Group's revenue rose by 2% annually to USD857 million in the six months ending June 30, while operating profits were up 7% per year to USD365 million, global RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) was up by an annual 2.1% (1.5% in the second quarter), while its net number of rooms grew by 3.7% annual percentage points to a current total of 778,000.

Regionally, overall performance in Greater China stayed robust. Average RevPAR increased by 4.1% per year. In first-tier cities, especially Shanghai, average RevPAR increased by 5.4% annually driven by strong corporate business and meeting demands. The occupation rate in second-, third- and fourth-tier cities rose steadily because of a stable meeting market, growing leisure travel and more new hotels, logging an increase of 5.2% in average RevPAR.

InterContinental Hotels contracted 46 hotels (10,000 rooms) in the first half, including InterContinental Hotel projects in downtown Guangzhou in southeastern Guangdong province and in Zhengzhou in east-central Henan province. InterContinental Hotels had 303 hotels open for business and 262 hotels under construction in Greater China by the end of June.