.香格里拉 Domain

THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .香格里拉 gTLD IS TO BENEFIT INTERNET USERS BY ENSURING INCREASED TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE ELIMINATION OF USER CONFUSION AND ASSURANCE OF BRAND AUTHENTICITY.

The.香格里拉 gTLD ("shangrila") will operate as a restricted registry, in which Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited (Shangri-La International) can create and control domain spaces within .香格里拉 that promote its brand identity and authenticity. In this regard, .香格里拉 will be used by Shangri-La International to provide information, services and resources regarding Shangri-La hotels and resorts to consumers in a way that promotes trust, confidence and convenience. .香格里拉 will provide an authoritative internet space for Shangri-La International, its affiliates and partners that are associated with the 香格里拉 brand. Second and third level domains can then be utilised for localised booking services, communication and marketing purposes, with internet users assured of brand authenticity.

Shangri-La International, trading as Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, is a global group that owns, operates and/or manages five-star hotels across the world. Shangri-La International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shangri-La Asia Limited (Shangri-La Asia). Shangri-La Asia, listed on the Hong Kong and Singapore Stock Exchanges and traded as American Depositary Receipts (ADR) in the US, had 2010 revenue of USD1.6 billion and a market capitalisation of around USD42 billion. Shangri-La Asia has over 33,000 employees and 30,000 guest rooms. Shangri-La International currently operates 57 Shangri-La hotels, of which 30 are located in China. Shangri-La International has won numerous awards and is consistently recognised as an industry leader by prestigious publications around the world. This includes winning 8 awards and being voted "Best Business Hotel Brand in Asia-Pacific" in the Business Traveller Asia-Pacific magazine 2011 readers' poll for the 11th consecutive year. In this regard, consumer trust, continuous innovation and protecting the Shangri-La brand are paramount considerations in all its activities. The.香格里拉will promote the Shangri-La brand in Chinese speaking countries and maintain Shangri-La International's strong online presence. These objectives will be complemented by Shangri-La International's separate application for .shangrila.

Business activities are increasingly conducted over the internet, allowing for greater levels of interaction between businesses and customers. As a result, both businesses and end users benefit from ease of interaction and a wider range of choices with lower transaction costs. However, the development in this arena in the current domain name system has exposed both businesses and consumers to increased criminal activities over the internet, including data breach, hacking and phishing. These sophisticated criminal activities cause reputational damage to businesses as internet users lose consumer confidence and trust with the businesses targeted by such criminal activities. The .香格里拉will facilitate greater trust and assurance from internet users connecting with Shangri-La International online, whilst still allowing convenient and efficient interaction.

Shangri-La International's mission and purpose of the proposed gTLD share ICANN's initiatives to promote public interest. Shangri-La International is committed to contribute towards achieving such initiatives in line with ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments, which includes:
- consumer trust: the .香格里拉 gTLD registry will be operated in a centralised manner with a restrictive registration policy. Registration of domain names will only be available to Shangri-La International and its affiliate entities, at this stage, which will provide added consumer trust that .香格里拉 domain names are trustworthy. As .香格里拉 domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under Shangri-La International's control, this eliminates the possibility of malicious conduct within the .香格里拉 domain space;
- competition: the gTLD is not intended to instigate competition and consumer choice at the level of registration of domain names among prospective registrants. Instead it is anticipated to contribute to ICANN's initiatives to promote public interest through its operation focused on promoting consumer trust. Increased trust in .香格里拉will drive existing and new top level domain (TLD) registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs; and
- consumer choice: the gTLD will enable user-driven improvements and innovations assisting Shangri-La International's marketing efforts through its ability to create new second and third level domain names on demand. These names will provide the consumers with more choices for interacting with Shangri-La International. As Shangri-La International has effective control over the registration and use of domain names under .香格里拉 domain space, this will also contribute towards general service innovations on the internet.

Given the restricted nature of.香格里拉, the projected number of registration is likely to be limited. It is anticipated that up to 80 domain names will be registered in the first year. However, over the next few years, the number of registrations is likely to increase to about 100 domain names as Shangri-La International implements new services and marketing campaigns.

As .香格里拉expands and evolves, Shangri-La International may consider offering the use of second level domain names to customers at a later date for the purposes of marketing its premier customer group "Golden Circle": a loyalty program that rewards Shangri-La's frequent guests with exclusive privileges and benefits. In this endeavour, Shangri-La International will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, as well as maintaining consumer trust and the stability of the internet. Shangri-La International will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to .香格里拉 including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.

Shangri-La International intends to create relevant domain names including product, services or geographic names at the second or third level. In accordance with registration policy and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names outlined in response to Question 22, Shangri-La International will use geographic names to localise its websites in countries in which it currently operates. It is anticipated that the number of geographic names used at the second and third level will increase as Shangri-La International expands into new cities and countries. The use of geographic names is intended to connect internet users with relevant information as applicable to the territory and comply with required rules and regulations in the national territory.
Shangri-La International will also utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level, initially in Chinese language. The use of IDNs will allow internet users to engage with .香格里拉 in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity. As the use of.香格里拉evolves, it is anticipated that the use of IDNs, including additional languages, will increase within the .香格里拉 domain space.

Shangri-La and 香格里拉 are well-recognised brands with its "香格里拉" trademark registered in 7 countries and territories for 19 categories, including: Entertainment Services (Class 41) and Restaurant and Hospitality Services (Class 43). The "Shangri-La" and "香格里拉" trademarks have been officially recognised by the Chinese Government since July 2005 as "Well-Known Trademarks" in relation to hotel services. Further, Shangri-La International has 19 existing domain names containing the "香格里拉" trademark in the .公司 (IDN.com) space.
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