19 Oct 2022
Tourism
Hotel and lodging business, 2022: Recovering gradually, but at a meager pace ... Read more
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16 Jan 2020
The market for Chinese tourists in 2020 deserves close attention as many risk factors remain. The number of Chinese holidaymakers in Thailand rebounded late last year to register a positive growth after a contraction in 1H19. However, the rise is partly attributed to political violence in Hong Kong which rerouted the Chinese tourists’ destination from Hong Kong to other countries.... 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
13 Aug 2019
The standoff between the authorities and protesters in Hong Kong since June 2019 has escalated to the airport shutdown last weekend from August 9-12, 2019. Flights were cancelled with chaotic effects spreading out across the island. Although the airport reopened on August 13, 2019, uncertainty still persists because the political demonstrations are expected to continue. The gridlock does not only impact the business confidence in Hong Kong’s economy but also causes disruption at one of the world’s busiest airports, affecting outbound Hong Kong holidaymakers that includes those planning on coming to Thailand.... Read more
6 Nov 2018
At present, the fast-paced business world is fuelled largely by digital disruption. The tourism and hospitality business is one of the industries that has experienced a rapid evolution in the past decade, with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) emerging to become a force to be reckoned with. The OTA business is driven by key global players which are poised to increase their presence and attach greater importance to the Asian region. The evidence is the value of merger and acquisition deals by the two OTA juggernauts in the Asian region; it represents 41 percent of their global M&As worth THB440 billion.... 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
8 Apr 2011
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