Koh Samui’s tourism renaissance: An island reawakens

[webfact]

Koh Samui, Thailand’s renowned resort island, is experiencing a remarkable revival in tourism. The island has witnessed a 69% year-on-year increase in visitor numbers during the first four months of 2024, driven by an influx of domestic tourists, the opening of new international markets, and improved air connectivity.

 

In 2023, Samui hosted 3,541,821 visitors, a balanced mix of domestic and international travellers. This is a notable shift from the pre-COVID era, which saw a higher number of overseas tourists. The island’s accessibility—via planes, ferries, and automobiles—played a significant role, as many visitors arrived by ferry from the mainland.

 

The surge in domestic tourism has been crucial for the island’s recovery. The C9 Hotelworks Samui Hotel & Tourism Market Review documents that the number of registered hotel guests exceeded 2019 levels by 1.5 times. While airport arrivals reached 94% of pre-pandemic levels with 1,208,364 passengers, ferry arrivals made up the difference.

 

 

International tourism dynamics have also evolved. Chinese tourists, once a major market, now account for less than 4% of visitors. This gap has been filled by travellers from Europe, the US, and a resurgent Israeli market, resulting in longer stays on the island.

 

Koh Samui’s tourism was historically influenced by its limited access, primarily through Bangkok Airways, which led to higher travel costs. However, this exclusivity attracted affluent tourists, maintaining the island’s status as a premium beach destination.

 

Looking forward, Koh Samui’s tourism infrastructure is set to expand. Plans to upgrade Samui International Airport and develop a cruise terminal aim to increase visitor numbers. New flight routes, including those by Scoot Airlines from Singapore, are expected to attract more upscale regional travellers.

 

Since 2017, the island’s hotel supply has grown steadily, reaching 630 establishments with 24,107 keys by 2023. Most new properties are boutique-scale, concentrated in the northern region, particularly Bophut. Branded hotels account for 69% of the development pipeline.

 

Tourism peaks in Koh Samui during the high season, with visitor numbers 1.5 to 2 times higher than in the low season. International travellers typically visit during winter and summer holidays, while the domestic market peaks in August, with additional rises in February and April for the Lunar New Year and Songkran festivals.

 

The Thai government is positioning Samui as a luxury destination, with plans to build a cruise terminal through a public-private partnership. This initiative aims to attract high-end tourists and further differentiate the island from other resort areas in Thailand.

 

As 2024 progresses, Koh Samui is set to solidify its reputation as a premier luxury destination. This resurgence signals an exciting new chapter for the island, promising growth and a dynamic future in the global tourism landscape.

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-06-14

 

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[Can samui]

Yet there is no water.

There is no way to dispose of garbage.

The ringroad is a carnage factory.

Yes, lets get lots more people to visit.

[hotchilli]

Ahhhh yes Koh Samui the peak of sustainability

[Maitdjai]

Reality ignoring idiots will always crashing into the "same" car.

But complain a lot about it.

 

 

[spidermike007]

I used to live on Samui and I loved it the first few years I was there, but it became more and more overdeveloped, traffic became horrendous, and when I visit now though there are some beautiful spots, it feels like a towel that's been wrung out 500 too many times from a diner, and the owners are just too cheap to replace the towel. That's my impression of the local government. 

 

 

One of the reasons I left Samui, was the attitude of alot of the locals. Back before the Apocalypse many of them were very jaded, and they seemed to be indifferent, and service suffered as a result of that. Less so with the Burmese workers, as they tend to be quite kind and helpful. Also, there is little to no local pride, as most who are from Samui left long ago, after selling their land. That hurts. It was hard living in a place where most of the locals just did not seem to care about the island. Most of the people there for the past 10 years are transplants, who do not care about keeping up the island. The ex-pats always seemed more concerned about maintaining the cleanliness, than the locals. 

 

If you get up into the mountains, or if you get onto certain beaches that are well maintained, it's absolutely lovely, and I do love the climate. However it's become quite an expensive place to live with all the gouging that's been going on since covid. 

[thaibeachlovers]

Samui was destroyed by over tourism back in 2000, so it's just going to get worse. Eventually it'll get so bad not enough suckers will visit to keep the money bin full and it'll become an island of derelict buildings.