Charoen Wangananont, ATTA president. Photo credit: ATTA/Facebook
SIGNIFICANT drops in international arrivals from some source markets in the first quarter have rattled the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), although business sentiments among Thai travel agents remain satisfactory.
ATTA president Charoen Wangananont said the domestic political situation and unfavourable economy in some markets, particularly Russia and Scandinavia, are repelling their travellers from Thailand.
According to ATTA numbers as of April 30, arrivals from Scandinavia last month totalled 4,286, down 43 per cent since end-2015, while the number of Russian tourists in the same period had fallen by 30 per cent to 107,305.
Agents have been relying more on Chinese arrivals instead, but that too comes with its own set of problems, added Charoen.
Tourists from China grew 71.14 per cent year-on-year to almost eight million arrivals in 2015, accounting for 26.55 per cent of total international arrivals in Thailand last year.
However, the competition for a slice of the pie has also resulted in conflicts with local people caused by some ill-mannered Chinese visitors, illegal tour guides and cheaply-priced travel packages.
In Q2, Charoen expects international arrivals in Thailand to rise 10 per cent year-on-year, compared with a 17 per cent growth seen in Q1, due to a high base during the same period last year.
By Sarun Saelee
– Rate quandary and the quest for high-yield clientele, read our Thailand report, TTG Asia, June 3 issue
