Tourist numbers up, but tourism sector not really happy

Entering tourism low season (rainy season) decline in business confidence in tourism industry due to slow economy, intense competition & over-reliance on Chinese tourism.

TOURISM

Tourist numbers up, but tourism sector not really happy

21/06/2016
Online Reporters

Tourist arrivals are rising and revenue is increasing, so all should be well in the tourism industry.

The tourism industry, however, remains worried.

The tourism industry faces problems such as the slow global economy, tourist arrivals that are increasing but heavily concentrated in some groups of tourists only such as Chinese tourists.

RISING THEN FALLING BUSINESS CONFIDENCE

The tourism sector had slightly more confidence in the second quarter compared with the first three months of the year but less confidence in the third quarter, during the rainy season, which is traditionally the low season for tourism.

The lower confidence for the third quarter resulted mainly from two factors:

1. Fierce competition among business operators, and...

2. Global economic problems that meant individual tourists were spending less.

The survey was carried out by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), the Tourism Authority of Thailand (tat) and Chulalongkorn University in which they surveyed 600 tourism- related business operators, 350 foreign tourists and 350 Thai tourists in the second quarter of this year.

INCREASE IN VISITORS. MAINLY CHINESE VISITORS

The number of visitors to Thailand should reach 33.87 million this year, up 13.35% on last year.

The revenue from foreign tourists is estimated to be 1.71 trillion baht, up by 17.83%.

The increase in visitors. however, is occuring only in some groups of tourists, notably the Chinese.

The number of Chinese visitors was expected to increase by 27% to 2.68 million in the third quarter.

Chinese visitors should exceed 10 million for the first time this year.

The figure was 8.1 million last year.

In the third quarter of this year, the number of visitors from Asean should rise by 7% year-on-year to 2.09 million and those from Europe by 3.4% to 1.11 million.

East Asia visitors, including Japan and Korea as well as China, will rise overall by 26% to 3.97 million.

TOURISTS NOT SATISFIED WITH TRANSPORTATION

The survey also found that foreign tourists were less satisfied with their visits to Thailand, mainly due to poor transport services.

Foreign tourists wanted lower fares, more domestic flights, better local transport, transport alternatives like passenger boats, better quality destinations and a better standard of service.

TOURISM COMPETITORS

The main competitors for tourists' dollars were seen as Hong Kong, Laos and Malaysia.

Most surveyed foreign tourists were repeat visitors.

They came to Thailand because of its beautiful tourist attractions, culture, religion, food and because it gave value for money.

THAI TOURISTS

The survey also found that more Thai people intended to travel in the third quarter due to long holidays in July and August, but 47% of the Thai respondents said they would spend less on their vacations, while 40% said they would spend about the same amount as before.

Thai tourists wanted cleanliness, a good standard of service and convenient transport.

For outbound Thai tourists, Korea and Laos were their main destinations.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1016013/tourist-numbers-up-but-tourism-sector-not-really-happy

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