Foreign tourist arrivals up 18 percent year-on-year in first half of Feb

[webfact]

Foreign tourist arrivals up 18% year-on-year in first half of Feb
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION

THE tourism sector bounced back in first half of February with an 18-per-cent surge in foreign-tourist arrivals and a 78-per-cent occupancy rate in the hotel sector thanks to several major events.

The "improved" political situation also helped lure visitors to the Kingdom, Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul claimed.

She said yesterday that international arrivals hit 1.4 million between February 1 and 15, an 18-per-cent increase compared with same period last year.

A lot of Chinese tourists are expected to come to Thailand this week and next to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Arrivals at the four main airports increased by 22 per cent overall between February 1 and 15, accounting for 80 per cent of total visitors.

Kobkarn said tourists using Don Mueang International Airport surged by 65 per cent thanks to more flights using that airport, particularly from budget airlines, but arrivals at Phuket International Airport fell 7 per cent.

The 78-per-cent occupancy rate for the first half of February compares favourably with the 60 per cent in the first quarter of last year.

"During the Chinese New Year, more than 300,000 Chinese are expected to visit Thailand, growth of 49 per cent [year on year]. They are expected to spend Bt6.9 billion, or an increase of 5 per cent," said Kobkarn, adding that Chinese tourists would spend on average Bt22,600 per person per trip.

The minister said about 890 charter flights from mainland China and Hong Kong would land in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Krabi. Of those special services, 560 flights would land in Bangkok.

She said her ministry recently met with the head of the Japan Long Stay Foundation and discussed measures to boost the number of Japanese extending their stays in Thailand.

Potential measures include extending visas from one year to 10 years and allowing property and other assets to be transferred to Thailand.

Currently, 58,143 Japanese are living in the Kingdom.

To continue luring more foreign tourists, Kobkarn said her ministry would work with neighbouring countries such as Cambodia to promote a new tourism campaign, "Two Kingdoms One Destination", by facilitating cross-border travel for tourists in a third country.

Meanwhile, she said Cambodia had asked Thailand to provide it with human-resource development and training for the tourism sector.

The ministry has proposed using Chiang Rai as the venue for the debut meeting of the Asean Tourism Working Group after it was established last month in Myanmar, with Asean tourism ministers set to promote the region to global markets.

For the domestic market, Kobkarn said the ministry was set to complete the major parts of the "Tourism Road Map 2020" master plan this month.

"The national tourism development plan is divided into eight clusters nationwide. [Plans for] five of them will be completed this month," she said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Foreign-tourist-arrivals-up-18-year-on-year-in-fir-30254232.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-17

[ExPratt]

I'd say this is to do with CNY being almost 3 weeks later than it was last year. If they are comparing it with 1-15 Feb 14 ,then that was the period directly after CNY on 31/1/14.

I may be wrong but I doubt the sudden rise in coming from Europe in Early February ?

[bkkjames]

22000 baht each, including hotel and transport?

[moobie]

Is it true that the lower soi's of Sukhumvit have been as dead as a proverbial doornail over this period of time and to use a tacky phrase "farang-lite"?

(One of soi 4's finest(?) was just today telling me that she cannot remember it being so quiet in the bars along the street. But then I'm 6500 miles away and no doubt she was just bored or probing for sympathy.)

[JDGRUEN]

I simply do not believe such statistics ... TAT is using a WAG -- wild ass guess to come up with these numbers... Living in Ao Nang ... what we see are marginal bars and restaurants closing in January, Motorcycle rentals ... hundreds and hundreds still parked on the curb UNRENTED... Inn Keepers -- talk about a lower high season this year, Crowds on the street smaller from observations of long time residents. Apartments, bungalows, etc. going unrented - some for the entire high season...

Total Bunk

Edited February 17, 2015 by JDGRUEN

[alantheembalmer]

"Meanwhile, she said Cambodia had asked Thailand to provide it with human-resource development and training for the tourism sector."

Rule 1: Always put the local price in native script so the tourist does not know he is paying substantially more.

[ExPratt]

Bi -weekly trends now then , It probably has gone up compared to exactly these 2 weeks a year ago , but because of the CNY holiday

What I wonder were the figures for Jan 18 to 31 in 2014 compared to this year, I bet they were miles higher because it was pre CNY

To be fair though its a bit of a pathetic stat, What next "There are 4 more Tourists today than there was on this day a year ago"

[ScarpoFongness4U]

Got to hand it to the PR effort they put out.

Other than TV people,

Most people will look at the headline and agree with them

But other than the self aggrandizing

It isn't going to make anyone run out and book a flight tonight

[klauskunkel]

As an avid reader of TAT headlines, I must conclude that Thailand is so chockfull of tourists to such a degree that I wouldn't want to visit..., maybe just go to Ibiza.

Edited February 17, 2015 by klauskunkel

[jackted]

You wouldn`t get any business owners here in Koh Chang agreeing with that there has been an 18% increase....except those few hotels with block booked Chinese tourists and the few restaurants where they are shipped to for the CNY.

TAT and other associated bodies do realize tourism is down and that it does affect the economy. I can also see them trying some initiatives to stop the decline. But frankly those ideas are not enough.Tourists and most governments views of Thailand as a holiday destination have sadly changed....maybe for good.

[upena]

Comparing foreign tourist arrivals to last year will continue to show big increases since tourism was down 30% last year

[madmitch]

"During the Chinese New Year, more than 300,000 Chinese are expected to visit Thailand, growth of 49 per cent [year on year]. They are expected to spend Bt6.9 billion, or an increase of 5 per cent," said Kobkarn, adding that Chinese tourists would spend on average Bt22,600 per person per trip.

Interesting that a 49% increase in numbers only generates a 5% increase in spending!

Also shows that the increase in tourist numbers must be almost exclusively down to the numbers of Chinese visitors, a number that will continue to increase as Western tourist numbers diminish, but the TAT and tourism ministry won't care about that; despite their ramblings about quality tourism they're really only interested in numbers.

[taony]

How does it compare to two years ago? Comparing now to a time during the run-up to the coup is not fair. If it arrivals were 10 last year and 12 this year, that's an increase of 20%. But if arrivals were 40 the year before, its not too impressive is it? And it is probably better, as someone already mentioned, to compare the beginning of CNY rather than just dates on a calendar.

[hawker9000]

"Foreign tourist arrivals up 18%"

Sure they are.

No idea who it is, but there must be some believing audience for this somewhere.

[harada]

Groundhog Day.

[JDGRUEN]

The other aspect that will eventually - perhaps sooner than later - cause a big problem is over building. I can only suppose that investors and corporate chains do not really look at 'on the ground' situation - send people in to count... do surveys. Nope they just put up a big hotel and never blink an eye. If I were an investor in stocks or bonds or mutual funds that had anything to do with putting money into building tourists facilities in Thailand - I would take my money out - fast... The next High Season will see many new and older hotels fighting over tourist in some resort cities.

Small time investors in their own projects are even worse... I saw one renovated building turned into a "hostel" over October and November -- opened in December - closed by end of January ... up for sale. Somebody took a personal hit on that one.

Renovated bars and new small time bars - NO CUSTOMERS at any time of day. And that is just my observations in one part of town. I do not now see the other 60% on a daily basis... I suspect the same situation in other parts of town.

One nearby bar - after much recent renovation closed before mid January... they left all the plastic patio furniture sitting on the patio -- with a big closed sign on the glass door. Closed 24/7 now.

[emilymat]

Did I read that correctly?. They are considering extending long stay visa's for Japanese to 10 years, not 1.

If that is so it shows the focus is now away from us farangs and exclusively on the Japanese/Chinese market.

I'm relieved I'm leaving this summer.

[StefanBBK]

One can argue any point successfully by quoting selective figures. More data/ context is needed.

[ggt]

I am always happy to see the TOT weigh in on new tourist information...

Kinda like reading the funny paper section of the newspaper...before social media took over...

[phoenixdoglover]

More excellent news from the Ministry of Whitewashing and Rose Tinted Glasses.

To be fair, it's their job to present the most favorable impression, regardless of the conditions on the ground.

But in the long run, a strategy based on The Chinese Tourists may not bring much joy.

[manhood]

At first don't believe any statistic you not manipulated by yourself and yes to compare just Feb 2014 to Feb 2015 is not the way to find out of more tourists comeing as Chineses New Year is different and it's just the Chinese floating now into Thailand for maybe a week..

Go to Pattaya: it's that quite i never seen before!!!!!!!!!! And the same in BKK!

[Larry001]

Well; l don't know where they are. Certainly not in Bkk, Pattaya and Jomtien. Have never seen it this quiet in February for years. Then again anyone can make stats look good.

[Larry001]

Well; l don't know where they are. Certainly not in Bkk, Pattaya and Jomtien. Have never seen it this quiet in February for years. Then again anyone can make stats look good.

[JonnyF]

Just got back from Chiang Mai. Pretty busy there, mainly Chinese tourists walking around with lunch boxes, shouting at each other and taking photos. Be interesting to see how busy it is after CNY.

[Ricardo]

Picking-up family-visitors at CNX the other day, the two queues for security getting into the International-end were at-least 100-people long, and Domestic-Arrivals was heaving, it's certainly a busy couple-of-weeks and the arrivals-board showed several Chinese flights, some airlines seemed to be putting-on a second flight extra to their usual one ?

And Walking-Street/Tha-Pae-Gate was also very busy with tourists.

But two weeks is a very small sample, to be proclaiming all well with tourism, IMO.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Ricardo

[i claudius]

What i do notice ,is that my wife is taking on lots of properties ,but renters and buyers are down ,among foreigners that is ,luckily she deals mainly with thais , as for me ,walking and driving around Pattaya all i see is hordes of Chinese walking around in the roads ect ,and they are so rude ,while shopping yesterday twice i had one of them push in and try to pay for something ,why are they so rude ,another thing the wife said was that many Thai property owners do not want to rent to them or to Russians ,because of the way they leave the premises.

[chrisinth]

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How does it compare to two years ago? Comparing now to a time during the run-up to the coup is not fair. If it arrivals were 10 last year and 12 this year, that's an increase of 20%. But if arrivals were 40 the year before, its not too impressive is it? And it is probably better, as someone already mentioned, to compare the beginning of CNY rather than just dates on a calendar.

Apparently TAT have forgotten what was happening in the country for the first 15 days of February last year.

As you rightly say, a fairer comparison would be to compare the figures from two or even three years ago for the same period.

[hugh2121]

Yes, Pattaya actually much busier yesterday. Big C busy with people buying up supplies for CNY. Give it a week or two and we'll see if the increased numbers are still there. Doubtful, the previous six weeks of the year have been soooooooooooo quiet.

[FangFerang]

I'm with madmitch.

How does a 49% increase in visitors equate to a mere 5% increase in revenues?

I think TAT must have a crowd of mad scientists working there, all of whom think a slide rule is a can opener and an abacus is a preschool toy.

I'm not laughing at my own humor, I am falling down howling over TATs inability to even construct a believable lie.

[tragickingdom]

So the arrivals are not really up than? Why would a minister or Tourism authority come up with figures that span just 2 weeks. Of course there will be many more people due to the lunar new year. China is Prayuth's only ally. What about spending and what about a breakdown per country. Bet we will not see that after all 89% of 1514 respondents polled told they really had seen more foreigners in their street.