Japan dethrones Thailand as top tourist spot

[snoop1130]

People walk through the annual year-end illumination in Roppongi district | Photo via AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko

 

By Ryan Turner

 

Japan’s rise as a favoured tourist destination over Thailand is attributed to a weaker currency and its preparedness to welcome independent travellers. In response, tourism operators in Thailand are urging the government to enhance attractions and improve service quality to achieve the target of 40 million visitors.

 

For the first eleven months of this year, Japan received over 33.3 million foreign visitors, surpassing its previous record of 31.8 million in 2019, despite implementing measures against overtourism. Meanwhile, Thailand welcomed 32 million tourists during the same timeframe.

 

Japan anticipates closing this year with 35 million visitors, matching Thailand’s figures, although, in 2019, Thailand attracted nearly 10 million more tourists than Japan’s projected figures.

 

Adith Chairattananon, the honorary secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, highlighted that Japan’s cities, both major and secondary, offer better facilities for independent tourists. These include excellent rail connectivity, safety, cleanliness, and an array of attractions.

 

Adith noted that the number of Thai tourists travelling to Japan surged to 1.3 million in 2019, up from around 400,000 when the visa requirement for Thais was lifted. There’s potential to reach 2 million in the coming years.

 

 

Japan continues to be a popular choice for Chinese tourists, despite the need for a visa. Should the visa requirement be removed, it could challenge Thailand’s status as a leading destination for Chinese tourists, alongside Macau and Hong Kong.

 

Cohesive tourism marketing

 

Adith pointed out that Japan’s tourism marketing is cohesive, with efforts aligned from the national government down to local agencies. Provincial tourism bodies actively participate in international travel fairs, such as the Thai International Travel Fair organised by the Thai Travel Agents Association.

 

Despite Thailand’s appeal with its natural attractions, warm hospitality, and rich culture, foreign tour operators observe a lack of new selling points. Adith sees potential for Thailand to develop new attractions and improve transportation to meet international standards, as well as employing creative strategies to attract tourists.

 

He referenced the Black Myth: Wukong online game’s success in China, which spurred domestic tourism to locations featured in the game. Visitors sought to collect in-game items, illustrating the power of creative marketing.

 

La-iad Bungsrithong, a board advisor for the Thai Hotels Association, commented on the growing competition and noted that Chiang Mai and Thailand are no longer top priorities for foreign tourists, highlighting the need for innovative development to add value.

 

Currently, tourism operators in Chiang Mai are concentrating on enhancing key events like the Flower Festival in February and Loy Krathong in November, alongside improvements to facilities, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-12-23

 

 

[sqwakvfr]

I guess quality and safety beat cheap and easy?  Also, Japan is rather expensive and really cold for 3 to 4 months per year.  Japan is truly amazing because it can beat LOS for the number of visitors inspite of high cost and at times cold weather. 

Also, Japan like most truly modern countries have few long term visa options. I can only think of marriage to a Japanese  national, studying at an actual school and employment as long term visa options. 

[Flyguy330]

Just got back from a 1 week skiing holiday in Hokkaido. Great snow, great food, but very expensive and bitterly cold - as in arctic. But, it snowed every day, and that's what we went for. It's guarenteed there, unlike the Alps which have been unreliable lately. It's a place for serious skiers though. Beginners should probably avoid. Too cold.

[ezflip]

28 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

favoured tourist destination over Thailand is attributed to a weaker currency

If you are exchanging US dollars or Euros, sure. Almost cheaper than Thailand.

 

It's something that Thailand does forget. Much more tourists are attracted to places that are cheaper and offers more.

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Japan’s rise as a favoured tourist destination over Thailand is attributed to a weaker currency and its preparedness to welcome independent travellers. In response, tourism operators in Thailand are urging the government to enhance attractions and improve service quality to achieve the target of 40 million visitors.

You need more than Walking streets, bars and temples.

[1duckyboy]

"Adith Chairattananon, the honorary secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, highlighted that Japan’s cities, both major and secondary, offer better facilities for independent tourists. These include excellent rail connectivity, safety, cleanliness, and an array of attractions."

 

Thailand has a long way to go if it wants to compete with Japan for  mainstream tourists. Thailand's narrow gauge railroads vs Japan's high speed trains are no contest. No comment on safety and cleanliness. 🤣

[Hawaiian]

12 hours ago, Flyguy330 said:

Just got back from a 1 week skiing holiday in Hokkaido. Great snow, great food, but very expensive and bitterly cold - as in arctic. But, it snowed every day, and that's what we went for. It's guarenteed there, unlike the Alps which have been unreliable lately. It's a place for serious skiers though. Beginners should probably avoid. Too cold.

I was there years ago.  Arrived for the first snowfall of the season.  Much too cold for me.

[Hawaiian]

"Thai tourists traveling to Japan surged to 1.3 million."  Several of our Thai friends have been there several times and plan to visit again.  They comment on how neat and organized the Japanese are.

[NedR69]

Maybe Thailand should work with neighboring countries to improve the air...clean air in Thailand is nonexistent during half the year.

 

Clean beaches - it's pathetic with the garbage, plastic, and pollution from stormwater runoff and improper discharge.

 

Safety - driving/riding on any road is dangerous.  I don't see a way to improve motor vehicle safety.  All Thailand has for highway enforcemnt is small 155cc motorbikes, and they don't pursue anything.  But their great for getting the police to something after they are called to investigate.   It'd better to improve the uneven side walks.  But that wouldn't help much, cause still gotta deal with motorbikes on side walks.

 

Public toilets - Japan has some super clean toilets, and some with built in bidets.  They also have smoking booths in busy areas on the sidewalks.  Never seen this anywhere except Japan.

 

 

[sqwakvfr]

4 minutes ago, NedR69 said:

Maybe Thailand should work with neighboring countries to improve the air...clean air in Thailand is nonexistent during half the year.

 

Clean beaches - it's pathetic with the garbage, plastic, and pollution from stormwater runoff and improper discharge.

 

Safety - driving/riding on any road is dangerous.  I don't see a way to improve motor vehicle safety.  All Thailand has for highway enforcemnt is small 155cc motorbikes, and they don't pursue anything.  But their great for getting the police to something after they are called to investigate.   It'd better to improve the uneven side walks.  But that wouldn't help much, cause still gotta deal with motorbikes on side walks.

 

Public toilets - Japan has some super clean toilets, and some with built in bidets.  They also have smoking booths in busy areas on the sidewalks.  Never seen this anywhere except Japan.

 

 

Great points and it just seems their is resistancce or unwillingness to adopt methods and procedures that other countries have proven to be effective. Is this the "truey Thai way"?  Countires like Japan and S. Korea were in utter shamlbes some 80 to 70 years ago and look at the progress both have made by learning from and adopting ways introduced by other countries. 

[jcmj]

Thailand is on a slippery slope downhill. Infrastructure sucks, garbage everywhere, violence is rampant, dirty beaches, water and people trying to scam tourists any way they can. Sad, but true. If they don’t do anything about it they will definitely lose even more tourists. They need to wake up and get rid of these problems and not just focus on more events. 

[fredwiggy]

2 hours ago, Hawaiian said:

I was there years ago.  Arrived for the first snowfall of the season.  Much too cold for me.

Cold is one of the things that goes along with skiing. That's where good clothes come into play, along with almost constant movement. I agree that being very cold, with wind, doesn't make it as enjoyable, as I skied in New York when it was in the teens with wind and sitting on the lift going up wasn't fun.

[JimHuaHin]

Thailand is slowly falling behind the times, sinking further back in time, and soon maybe at the bottom of many rankings in ASEAN.

 

Move forward into the future Thailand, or sink back into the dark ages.

[lordgrinz]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Despite Thailand’s appeal with its natural attractions, warm hospitality, and rich culture, foreign tour operators observe a lack of new selling points.

 

Other than the lack of new selling points, none of those things exist in Thailand.

[Hawaiian]

11 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Cold is one of the things that goes along with skiing. That's where good clothes come into play, along with almost constant movement. I agree that being very cold, with wind, doesn't make it as enjoyable, as I skied in New York when it was in the teens with wind and sitting on the lift going up wasn't fun.

Not bad when you can come back indoors to a nice warm room.  I was there when there was no central heating.  Only a small electric room heater.  Besides I don't ski, although I have snowboarded back home on Mauna Kea.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, NedR69 said:

Maybe Thailand should work with neighboring countries to improve the air...clean air in Thailand is nonexistent during half the year.

 

That was made clear yesterday when I flew in from Northern China.  During the notorious heating season.  From 35,000', I could take fantastic photos of the N. China landscape.  It got cloudy in the south of China, but not smoggy.  Then we entered Laos/Thai airspace and I couldn't even see the ground until we got down below 4000'.  No clouds.  Just smog.

[fredwiggy]

5 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

Not bad when you can come back indoors to a nice warm room.  I was there when there was no central heating.  Only a small electric room heater.  Besides I don't ski, although I have snowboarded back home on Mauna Kea.

I remember sitting on the lift, that had to be stopped because of the wind, thinking about jumping off, about 10 feet, until it finally got to the top, where I skied down the slope, right to the front door of the lodge, and ran to sit in front of the fireplace. All the other times it was fine there, but that wind made it so much colder.

[Phillip9]

15 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Japan is truly amazing because it can beat LOS for the number of visitors inspite of high cost and at times cold weather. 

 

If you don't like the cold, go to Okinawa, the southern islands prefecture of Japan.  Good weather there in the winter and better beaches than Thailand.  Just not well known to foreigners because Japan is so big with so many other places to go, most focus on the main islands.

 

 

[steven100]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

You need more than Walking streets, bars and temples.

and cheats lair's and scammers.  It must be heaven going to a place where that isn't the norm or part of the culture like here.  

[Gknrd]

If you can breath the air in Japan it has Thailand beat hands down.

[fredwiggy]

8 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Other than the lack of new selling points, none of those things exist in Thailand.

I've been here over 6 years, and the beach was nice, but after you've seen a few large temples and driven around a bit, it all looks the same and is very boring, especially if you choose to live in Isaan. Nothing to do besides gardening, if that's your thing. Mine are hunting and fishing. No hunting here and the fishing isn't good besides private lakes and pay to fish. It's a nice place to visit, but besides that, if you don't live near the beaches, and love that thing, it's no different than any other country place that's boring, like the US Midwest.

[Aussie999]

2 hours ago, Hawaiian said:

I was there years ago.  Arrived for the first snowfall of the season.  Much too cold for me.

so you would prefer a warm snow season... mmm

[lordgrinz]

10 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I've been here over 6 years, and the beach was nice, but after you've seen a few large temples and driven around a bit, it all looks the same and is very boring, especially if you choose to live in Isaan. Nothing to do besides gardening, if that's your thing. Mine are hunting and fishing. No hunting here and the fishing isn't good besides private lakes and pay to fish. It's a nice place to visit, but besides that, if you don't live near the beaches, and love that thing, it's no different than any other country place that's boring, like the US Midwest.

 

Yup, I miss living in New England, four seasons, where I can go hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, camping. We even have Cape Cod or many other beaches for summer if needed, skiing opportunities, and a ton of great food (my wife especially misses her New England Lobster Rolls) Like you said, after you've seen a few large temples and other attractions, it starts to all look the same and boring. On top of that, we get to deal with non-stop traffic and people who want to kill us with their cars, motorcycles, buses, taxis. Then there is the pollution, which ruins almost any outside activities, if the scorching sun doesn't. I absolutely love to go for a drive, here I dread it, so I am in no hurry to explore much more of this cesspool.

[fredwiggy]

2 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Yup, I miss living in New England, four seasons, where I can go hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, camping. We even have Cape Cod or many other beaches for summer if needed, skiing opportunities, and a ton of great food (my wife especially misses her New England Lobster Rolls) Like you said, after you've seen a few large temples and other attractions, it starts to all look the same and boring. On top of that, we get to deal with non-stop traffic and people who want to kill us with their cars, motorcycles, buses, taxis. Then there is the pollution, which ruins almost any outside activities, if the scorching sun doesn't. I absolutely love to go for a drive, here I dread it, so I am in no hurry to explore much more of this cesspool.

I was just back in Texas last month, and a soon as I got there I was home again. If I could I would be there right now but re establishing again isn't easy, and will take some time. This has never been home. I will move one last time back there, and when I'm there, can make trips hunting and fishing again anywhere I want throughout the states.

[Hawaiian]

7 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

so you would prefer a warm snow season... mmm

Why not?  We have that in Hawaii.  Snow on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa while it is sunny (80 to 85F) and warm at lower elevations.

[DonniePeverley]

Japan has very strong border controls ... and does not allow mass cheap tourism from the likes of China, India, African continent etc 

 

THAILAND is basically the holly grail for cheap mass tourism. It's the only country in the world that allows Indians in visa free. MASS CHEAP TOURISM

 

The whole obsession in Thailand with an arbitary number of visitors is ridiculous. If USA, UK, Australia opened up to cheap mass tourism from India and China they would get millions more visitors, but they want QUALITY TOURISTS, not cheap tourists who spend nothing and do nothing but create carnage and turn away quality tourists. 

 

Thailand is a mess and awash with cheap tourists. 

[lordgrinz]

6 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I was just back in Texas last month, and a soon as I got there I was home again. If I could I would be there right now but re establishing again isn't easy, and will take some time. This has never been home. I will move one last time back there, and when I'm there, can make trips hunting and fishing again anywhere I want throughout the states.

 

Yup, went back in April and enjoyed driving through a few different states, every road trip was a delight and not a single issue with any other drivers in the almost month long stay. The clean air, laid back atmosphere, lack of crowds, and cooler weather was intoxicating!

[Hawaiian]

26 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

 

If you don't like the cold, go to Okinawa, the southern islands prefecture of Japan.  Good weather there in the winter and better beaches than Thailand.  Just not well known to foreigners because Japan is so big with so many other places to go, most focus on the main islands.

 

 

While part of Japan, Okinawa has its own unique cuisine and culture.  In Hawaii, people of Okinawan ancestry have their own social cliques and organizations.

[NanLaew]

15 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

I guess quality and safety beat cheap and easy?  Also, Japan is rather expensive and really cold for 3 to 4 months per year.  Japan is truly amazing because it can beat LOS for the number of visitors inspite of high cost and at times cold weather. 

Also, Japan like most truly modern countries have few long term visa options. I can only think of marriage to a Japanese  national, studying at an actual school and employment as long term visa options. 

 

What has a dearth of Japanese long-term visa options got to do with their burgeoning tourism?

[Phillip9]

2 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Countires like Japan and S. Korea were in utter shamlbes some 80 to 70 years ago and look at the progress both have made by learning from and adopting ways introduced by other countries. 

They were in shambles because they were reduced to rubble by wars.  Both those countries have been highly educated and had rich complex cultures for thousands of years.