BANGKOK – The Thai tourism industry is projecting to close this year with a better-than-expected 14 million arrivals, down just 4% over 2008.
In 2010, the forecast is for a 7% to 10% increase to 15 to 15.5 million visitors, “if no serious incidents of political or other threats arise,†a caveat that has now become a fixed part of the tourism forecasters’ lexicon.
Among a raft of initiatives, Tourism Authority of Thailand will target North East Asia, America, Singapore and UAE where loss of market share has been “very high†due to the loss of confidence in the safety of Thailand and severe economic contraction in those source-markets.
According to a TAT report released last week, the first half of 2008 saw a 16% decline in arrivals, due to the impact of the global financial crisis, fears of a bird flu pandemic and the lingering fallout from the 10-day closure of Suvarnabhumi airport in late 2008.
Arrivals from the North East Asia market were worst hit (down 30%), followed by American and Oceania markets. The Asean and European markets were not too badly hit and the South Asia and Middle East markets maintained a growth rate.
Since August 2009, the report says, the situation has been improving.
The number of visitor arrivals declined by only 5% in August and then shot up 10% in September, maintaining steady increases in the October-December final quarter.
Visitor arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport during November and up to mid-December were up 40%.
Charter flights to destinations such as Phuket and Samui are also up from European and Asian markets.
Source: TTR Online
