Many travelers who used to be used to returning to Thailand every year now prefer to travel to neighboring countries, which are more accessible and cheaper.
Thailand, proud of its success, began making travelers’ lives more difficult by requiring more and more documents to obtain visas, and sent many messages that it wanted to attract wealthy “better status” tourists.
Faced with this contemptuous and haughty behavior, many travelers choose to travel to neighboring countries where the people in charge of managing tourists are more respectful and friendly.
Bhumikitti Ruktaengam, advisory chairman of the Phuket Tourism Association, said stiff competition will make it difficult for Thailand to stay in the market.
He said some Scandinavian groups, one of Phuket’s established markets for decades, moved to Bali over the winter.
Mr Bhumikitti said average spending in Bali before the pandemic was higher than in Phuket but now the amount is similar.
Combined with very strong cultural elements, Bali attracted many travelers during this period, some of whom were previously big fans of Phuket.
For the next year, he said there were still domestic factors, such as B. Concerns about political tensions as general elections are expected to be held in 2023.
In addition, rising energy prices and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine are also affecting tourism spending and could make it difficult for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to increase spending per trip.
Mass protests against Covid-19 restrictions in China will make travel restrictions more unpredictable as nobody can predict how Beijing will react to this situation.
“We need more integration between the public and private sectors, especially when it comes to tourism policy.
Thai Airways, in particular, should play a bigger role,” Bhumikitti said.
In his opinion, most countries with a high recovery rate are those that have national airlines that help transport passengers to the destinations they want to visit.
There are currently very few direct flights to Phuket operated by Thai Airways, although other international airlines continue to increase their flights.
Krod Rojanastien, chairman of the Thai Spa Association, said the flow of tourists has not returned to normal levels, while recession and geopolitical tensions will continue to affect tourism until April next year.
He said Thailand should focus on potential tourism products the country already has that could attract travelers with high spending power.
Mr Krod, also an adviser to the president of Chiva-Som International Health Resort, said Thailand’s reputation for health and wellness could help the resort expand its management to Qatar’s Zulal Wellness Resort, which is currently hosting the German team during the World Cup.
“Health and well-being have great potential.
But the government should do more to support educational programs related to these services as labor shortages are a critical issue,” Krod said.
Source: Bangkok Post