THAILAND has seen a major resurgence in arrivals from Spain this summer, with the European country posting strong growth among the longhaul markets.
Figures released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) show that arrival numbers from Spain climbed almost 40 per cent in June and 62 per cent in July, translating to 70,542 arrivals as of end-July. Total arrivals for 2014 stood at 116,414, according to TAT.
Francesc Escanez, managing director of Atlantida Viatges, added that Thailand’s success is being shared by other regional destinations such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.
“Travel is slowly recuperating in Spain, and it is South-east Asia that is performing best for longhaul (travel),” said Escanez. “We thought Thailand would suffer after what has been happening there in recent months, but we haven’t had cancellations.”
India and China are also showing growth this year, but Thailand and Indochina are benefitting most because of the value they offer, explained Escanez.
He added: “There has been little increase in prices in these (South-east Asian) countries and with their standards of service they are seen as (offering) better value than elsewhere like Brazil.”
