Thailand’s tourism industry has seen a lot of growth in the past year, but it still falls short of where it was before the pandemic. In this blog post, we take a look at Covid and how it is helping to improve Thailand’s tourism industry. Covid provides real-time information on tourist arrivals and departures, so that businesses can make better decisions about where to allocate resources and attract tourists. By doing so, Thai businesses are able to increase their revenue while maintaining high levels of customer service.
Covid: Covid data shows steady growth of Thai tourism in the past year
Thailand’s tourism industry has seen a steady growth in the past year, according to Covid data. The country hosted over 6 million tourists in 2017, an increase of 2% from 2016. However, the sector remains below pre-pandemic levels and ranks 15th among ASEAN countries in terms of tourist arrivals.
According to the Covid report, one key factor contributing to Thailand’s strong tourism performance is its attractiveness as a destination for leisure travellers. The country offers a wide range of vacation options, including popular tourist destinations like Phuket and Bangkok as well as lesser-known locales. Furthermore, Thai visitors are often satisfied with their experiences and return repeatedly.
However, while Thailand’s tourism sector is seeing positive growth, it still faces some challenges. One area of concern is the increasing number of tourists who arrive without proper documentation or visas. This can lead to security concerns and delays at ports of entry, impacting both travel plans and hotel bookings. Additionally, Thai authorities are struggling to accommodate an influx of visitors following the successful conclusion of the World Cup in Russia last year.
Covid: Thailand tourism up but still below pre-pandemic level
Covid reports that Thailand’s tourism sector was down 3.3% in October from a year earlier, but this is still below the pre-pandemic level. The total number of arrivals is up 1.5%, while the number of departures decreased by 5%. The main contributors to the decline in tourist numbers were China (-5%), Japan (-5%) and South Korea (-4%).
The country’s five most popular tourist destinations are still Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi and Ko Tao. “Domestic tourists accounted for 77% of all arrivals in Thailand last month,” Covid said. “This compared to 78% for international visitors.”
The government has been trying to promote alternative tourism destinations away from Bangkok, which are seeing better results. Koh Samui (+14%), Chiang Mai (+10%) and Hua Hin (+9%) topped the list of best performing provinces for domestic tourism during October 2017.
Covid: What to do if you’re a tourist in Thailand
Covid: Thailand tourism up but still below pre-pandemic level
Thailand’s tourism industry is slowly recovering from the devastating effects of the pandemic, with visitor numbers estimated to be around 2.5 million in 2017, compared to 1.8 million in 2016. However, as with most things in Thailand, there is much more to this story than meets the eye and Covid warns that while the tourist industry has experienced a slight uptick, it remains well below pre-pandemic levels and must continue to work hard if it wants to reach its full potential.
The main factor contributing to this slow recovery appears to be a general reluctance on the part of tourists from some key markets – including China and Japan – to visit Thailand due to concerns over safety. In order to make up for lost revenue, many resorts have increased prices significantly, which has had a knock-on impact on other sectors such as food and accommodation.
Nevertheless, Covid believes that despite these challenges, Thailand’s tourism sector is making progress and that 2018 should see an even faster increase in visitor numbers. As long as venues are mindful of the needs of their guests – ensuring both safety and quality standards are maintained – there is no reason why Thailand’s tourism should not rebound completely by 2021.
