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15 Nov 2022

Tourism

Active domestic tourism at year-end; full-year 2022 domestic tourism projected to reach 150.8 million trips (Current Issue No.3359)

คะแนนเฉลี่ย

        Thanks to an improving pandemic situation, a return to normal economic activity, and the government’s stimulus packages to boost tourism in the country, local tourism this year has been marked by a higher number of Thai tourists. Based on preliminary data compiled, the number of domestic trips during the first 10 months of 2022 was 118.9 million, growing 278.2 percent YoY. Thai domestic tourism is expected to become more active during the festive season in the final two months of the year. Plus, the addition of special long holidays on November 16-18, 2022, for Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, would possibly encourage more Thais to make domestic travel.

        According to a survey of Bangkok residents’ travel plans over the last two months of 2022, the findings showed that 3 out of 4 of the sample group planned their trips. The majority of them still preferred domestic travel – natural attractions like mountains/hilltops remain the most popular. The top five provinces – among the primary tourist cities for Thais where the sample group also plans to go – include Chiang Mai, Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin), Nakhon Ratchasima (Khao Yai) and Phetchabun. Additionally, the survey results reflected that many more Thai tourists shifted to visit secondary provinces such as Nan, Lamphun, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Uthai Thani, Chanthaburi, etc. Based on such information, KResearch projects that Thai holidaymakers are expected to make around 31.9 million domestic trips during the last two months of this year, increasing 6.8 percent from the same period of last year.

        However, the factors of public concerns about the pandemic – particularly at the beginning of the year, purchasing power that has yet to fully recover, and floods in several areas during September-October affected Thais in arranging their travel plans. Given this, the full-year 2022 number of domestic trips is projected to reach 150.8 million, increasing approximately 183.9 percent from 2021. The number of Thais who have already taken domestic trips was around 87 percent of the 2019 (pre-pandemic) figure. Meanwhile, the total value of domestic tourist expenditures for full-year 2022 is projected at around THB 6.3 billion, growth of 149.1 percent from 2021.