Affluent tourists from Europe and Russia have filled resorts in Thailand’s southern provinces, causing accommodation prices to rise, exceeding 2019 levels.
Longer stays by European visitors in the first quarter fuelled a surge in accommodation revenue in Thailand’s southern provinces. Room prices set a new record despite a small number of Chinese tourists, the Bangkok Post reported.
“The first quarter of this year is likely to be the best high season in the past five years,” said Pongsakorn Ketprapakorn, former president of the Phangnga Provincial Tourism Board.
Pongsakorn said many hotels in the province, especially in Khao Lak, charge higher room rates of 6,000 to 10,000 baht per night, higher than the average of 5,000 baht in 2019, which is considered a peak tourist year for Thailand.
Most tourists are Russians, Germans and Scandinavians who choose the serene nature of the province and stay for a few weeks to a month.
Currently, hotels are more than 90 per cent or even complete, and guests are spending more money on food and other hotel services.
Although the Chinese market recorded the highest number of arrivals to Thailand – more than 987,000 out of 5.2 million tourists – Phangnga rarely gains this market, Pongsakorn said.
Many Chinese tourists prefer busier and more urban destinations, such as Phuket and Bangkok, rather than nature-orientated destinations like Phangnga. According to Pongsakorn, the Chinese make up only 5-10 per cent of the province’s foreign tourist market.
Phangnga is also hosting this year’s Thailand Travel Mart Plus, an annual trade event organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand from June 5 to 7.
Charinthip Thiyaphorn, owner of Pimalai Resort and Spa on Krabi’s Lanta Island, said that during this high season, 200m² villa rooms sold faster than 48m² deluxe rooms, indicating strong demand from high-end travellers from Europe and the US.
Thanks to this, the average room rate in January for all room types was 9,000 baht, surpassing 2019 levels, and occupancy rates are above 90 per cent, Charinthip said.
Long-term guests tend to stay for seven to 10 days, spend more at the resort’s bars and restaurants, and participate in local activities on the island.
Charinthip said there are few Chinese guests at the resort, even during the Chinese New Year celebrations, as the resort is fully booked by long-haul guests 150-180 days in advance. Meanwhile, Chinese and other Asian markets usually book with shorter waiting times.
Krabi Tourism Association president Sasithorn Kittidhrakul says there are still no direct flights to Krabi from China. In fact, before the pandemic, it was possible to get here from five or six Chinese cities.
But now there are charter flights to the province from Stockholm, Warsaw and Prague, as well as scheduled flights from major cities such as Dubai, Singapore and Malaysia.
Mrs Sassithorn said Krabi’s significant markets are Sweden, Malaysia, Poland, and the UK. All of them have higher spending levels, resulting in a 20-30 per cent increase in room rates compared to 2019.
Krabi’s tourism association and tour operators will join the global trade fair ITB Berlin 2024 in March. The aim is to attract travellers, especially the European market, with sustainable tourism and attractions such as hot springs, said the association’s president.
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