Demand for hotels in Thailand continues to grow at pace; according to the latest Expedia Group data, overnight bookings in the Land of Smiles have risen by 10% over the past 12 months. The report indicates that Thai accommodation partners have been enjoying increased growth in the overall inbound demand to Thailand, while also providing more details about how this growing influx of visitors like to spend their time and money during their travels.
The data from Expedia also provides an overview of which demographics are choosing Thailand for their holidays. The US was the largest source market for travel receipts to Thailand over the last 12 months, with demand growing by 20% year-on-year (YoY). China is the second largest group, surpassing Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea for the first time in the past two years. Meanwhile, India has moved up three ranks to take its place in Thailand’s top 10 international markets.
Expedia Group’s data confirmed that Chinese and Indian travellers are demonstrating an increased appetite for premium accommodation – more than 60% of the bookings made by Chinese and 55% of bookings made by Indians were in four-star and five-star hotels. The data also illustrates that China is the fastest growing market for packages, as demand skyrocketed by 200% YoY, while India package demand grew by 160% YoY.
In terms of the destinations chosen by these travellers, the most popular sites are Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. Hua Hin (110% YoY), Koh Phi Phi (100% YoY) and Koh Lipe (100% YoY) have also emerged as rising stars in the market, with triple-digit demand growth during the same period.
The latest numbers from Expedia confirm the ongoing growth and rich potential of Thailand’s tourism industry, while also identifying places of interest, preferences and trends that travellers are leaning towards in the Land of Smiles. It all adds up to a bright future for the industry.
