18 Oct 2023
Tourism
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27 Dec 2022
After the Chinese government began easing domestic lockdown measures in November 2023, it recently announced the relaxation of inbound travel restrictions, effective January 8, 2023, which is sooner than expected by observers. Therefore, it is most likely that Beijing will allow Chinese nationals to resume outbound travel as usual within the first half of 2023 on an important condition that the current wave of COVID-19 is within control and does not put a strain on the country’s public health system. ... Read more
21 Dec 2022
It is expected that Thailand’s tourism will be busy once again after a two-year hiatus as more Thais intend to travel in the country while foreign travelers are planning to visit Thailand during the upcoming New Year 2023 festive season. As a result, cash flows in travel-related businesses here may reach roughly THB30 billion from December 30, 2022 to January 2, 2023, amounting to around 50 percent of the total amount reported during the same period of 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic). ... Read more
3 Jan 2020
Inbound tourism in 2020 faces a daunting prospect, which affects the number of international tourists and their spending. The market lacks new factors while risks remain and have even worsened. For example, the gloomy global economic sentiment could discourage the international travelers’ activities, heightening competition among the tourist destination countries to attract these globe trotters. In addition, there will be two world-class sports events in 2020, namely, the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship (EURO 2020) and the Summer Olympics in Japan.... Read more
28 Jun 2019
In 1H19, inbound tourism slowed due to various factors; whereas, the overall number of tourists and slowing growth rate were as expected (party due to high base effect in 2018), in spite of some differences in details in each market. For example, the number of Chinese tourists is lower than expected partly because of the cooling Chinese economy as a result of the US trade war with China, and the Thai Baht has gained strength versus Chinese Yuan currency. At the same time, Chinese tourists have more tourism destination choices to choose from now while other countries are trying to appeal to international tourists, especially the Chinese, by highlighting their attractions as well. An extension of the fee exemption for visa on arrivals has also promoted the growth of international tourists from other countries as there has been a surprising surge in the number of Indian tourists coming to Thailand... Read more
1 Feb 2019
The number of Chinese tourist arrivals to Thailand bounced back quickly toward the end of 2018, thanks to a concerted effort by the private and public agencies in helping shore up confidence of Chinese tourists toward Thailand and an exemption of visa-on-arrival fee for citizens of 20 countries, including China. The recovery was clearly seen in December 2018 when their arrivals revered to growth for the first time in five months. We at KResearch expect that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand during the Chinese New Year 2019 will reach approximately 325,000, which would be on a par with last year. The figure represents a positive sign for our Chinese inbound tourism market during the remainder of 2019. According to Ctrip’s poll, Chinese tourists still choose Thailand as one of their top holiday destinations during the Chinese New Year 2019. ... Read more
24 Dec 2018
Tourism activities in the last five days of 2018 or between December 28, 2018 and January 1, 2019 are expected to generate THB47.43 billion of tourism revenue, up by 9.3 percent over-year, according to an estimate by KResearch. The buoyant sentiment from both local and international holidaymakers is attributed to the government’s supportive measures together with marketing promotions by hospitality companies. ... Read more
12 Oct 2018
KResearch views that after the growth of inbound tourism in 3Q18 registered the lowest rate of the year, Thailand’s inbound tourism market should pick up in 4Q18 with approximately 9.56 million international travelers expected to visit Thailand, up 3.0 per cent YoY. This is because the last quarter is the holiday season in Thailand. In addition, Thai tourism is bolstered by international events hosted by Thailand during this time of the year. Additionally, Thailand’s key markets such as Russian and Chinese tourists are likely to improve when compared to sluggish activity in 3Q18.... Read more
23 Aug 2018
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ data, the number of Chinese tourists in Thailand in July 2018 dropped 0.9 percent over-year to a total of 930,000 persons. In contrast, the tourism receipts from the Chinese segment rose 4.5 percent over-year to THB51.38 billion. A slight slowdown is expected for August, but the government has implemented some promotional campaigns, while the hotel and accommodation operators, as well as retail traders, have used intensive marketing tactics to attract more Chinese voyagers during their National Day holiday in early October. Given the above scenario, KResearch views that the Chinese tourist market will likely pick up, and the number of Chinese holidaymakers in Thailand may reach 10.9 million for the entire year of 2018 (compared to the previous estimation of 10.6 million), equal to growth of 11.2 percent versus the 12.0-percent pace in 2017. For total receipts, they will likely amount to THB602.01 billion, rising 14.8 percent over-year compared to the 15.8-percent increase in 2017. KBank has compiled Chinese tourists’ behaviors as follows: • Based on a survey of Chinese tourists toward their preferred destinations in Asia, Thailand remains their top destination, with a share of 27.0 percent of the survey respondents. After Thailand, most favorite destinations are Japan (18.8 percent), Maldives (14.5 percent), Hong Kong (14.3 percent) and Singapore (9.6 percent). • Around 53.0 percent of Chinese tourists travel with tour agencies, while the free independent tourists (FIT) constitute a share of 47.0 percent of the respondents. It has also been found that Chinese coming to Thailand for the first time make up 78.0 percent of the respondents, while the revisiting group represents 22.0 percent. Most of the first-time visitors have learned about Thailand from agencies’ recommendations, friends/relatives who had already been here, and from tourism websites such as Mafengwo and TripAdvisor. • The largest part of expenses goes to goods purchases, then food and healthcare service such as massage and spa. • The most popular goods for Chinese buyers are cosmetics/skincare creams, followed by food and processed fruits, Thai traditional medicine/herbs, for example, massage balms, apparel and souvenirs. • Chinese visitors prefer to use cash to pay for their goods and services. However, payments via China’s financial applications, especially Alipay and WeChat Pay, are almost as popular as cash. Chinese tourists view that the possibility of pay via such applications has resulted in an increase of their spending by 81.8 percent, given the convenience of not having to exchange money and discounts granted by the merchants. ... Read more
22 Jun 2018
The 2018 FIFA World Cup hosted by Russia is interrupting the consistent flow of Russian tourist arrivals in Thailand. According to statistics of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the number of Russian visitors in Thailand over the first five months of 2018 surged 21.4 percent over-year to reach 802,496 persons. Meanwhile, a drop of 13.0 percent YoY was recorded for May, and this downtrend may continue through the period of the world’s largest football tournament. This trend is also similar to many other countries, because it would appear that Russians prefer to stay home at this moment.... Read more