PUBLISHED : 12 Feb 2025 at 07:15
Thailand is set to welcome 3.5 million foreign tourists this February, marking a 5% increase from last year. Notably, while most major markets are experiencing growth between 2% and 20%, the Chinese market is projected to decline by 7% due to safety concerns, as reported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
TAT’s governor indicated that Germany and Japan are anticipated to show the most substantial growth rates of 20% and 18%, respectively. Approximately 124,000 German visitors and 123,000 Japanese tourists are expected to arrive in Thailand this month.
Despite a 7% drop, visitor numbers from China will still lead the pack with around 630,000 arrivals. Other significant short-haul markets contributing to tourism growth include Malaysia, with 513,000 visitors, South Korea at 198,000, and India with 170,000 arrivals.
Overall, the total number of tourists over the first two months of 2025 is projected to reach 6.9 million.
The increase in inbound tourism is attributed to the resurgence of flights, with ticket bookings rising by 14% this month, accompanied by a 15% rise in seat capacity to 4.3 million seats, although this still falls short of the 5 million seats available in February 2019.
The upcoming release of the third season of a notable television series filmed in Thailand is expected to further boost the travel market in the coming months.
Stakeholders are closely monitoring the evolving dynamics of the Chinese market, which experienced a moderate growth rate of 30% during the recent Chinese New Year but did not meet earlier expectations of 60-70% growth.
On the domestic front, approximately 33.9 million trips are anticipated in the first two months of 2025, reflecting a 2% increase and generating 169 billion baht, an 8% rise in revenue.
The Thai Hotels Association reports a nationwide average hotel occupancy rate of 74% in January, forecasted to decrease to 68% this month. Most hotels recorded revenue growth across all markets, except for the Chinese, which remained stagnant.
Looking ahead, about 70% of hotels are planning to increase their room rates in the first quarter, with 40% aiming for a 5% increase, while others target increases of 6-10% or more than 10%, predominantly among four-star or higher properties.
