The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) recent announcement on the pivot towards offering benefits to expatriates in its 2024 strategy has garnered positive responses from leading hoteliers in the country.
Thailand, known for its cultural richness and scenic beauty, has attracted 156,596 expatriates in 1Q2023 alone, reported the Bangkok Post.
TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool in late September announced plans to organise promotional campaigns for expatriates, such as reduced entrance fees to national parks and attractions – an idea which has long been championed within the local expat community.
As the lines between leisure and business travel blur, the hospitality sector is presented with unprecedented opportunities.
“We are confident in TAT’s 2024 strategy,” stated Jakob Helgen, area vice president, Marriott International – Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia & Myanmar.
He elaborated: “The strategy takes advantage of the rising trend of digital nomads and remote workers, which will strategically position Thailand for a bright future. We are also pleased with TAT’s focus on sustainable tourism and quality over quantity, which are in line with Marriott’s focus on positively impacting the environment and communities where we operate.”
Marriott Executive Apartments, the group’s extended-stay concept, has several locations in Bangkok, with three more set to launch next year.
Boripat Louichareon, managing director of Standard Asia, echoes these sentiments.
“Thailand has long been a popular destination for tourists seeking both short-term holiday breaks and now catering for long-term stays. The rise of bleisure travel – where business meets leisure – fits right into this trend,” Boripat said. “We wholeheartedly welcome this rising trend led by the TAT. Bleisure travellers typically stay longer in a destination, extending nights at hotels and boosting revenue, empowering hotels to maintain higher occupancy rates.”
In the bigger picture, Boripat believes this strategy will greatly benefit Thailand’s tourism.
“Increasing the average length of stay and expanding the international reach can have substantial benefits not only for the tourism industry but also for the entire country’s economic growth,” he said.
Both hotel groups offer perks to long-stay visitors.
The Standard has also focused on weekly programming – such as local festivals and art events – to draw the expatriate crowd and entertain long-stay visitors. The Standard Bangkok hosted the popular Hotel Art Fair in November 2022, while The Standard Hua Hin hosted the Kolour Hua Hin 2023 music festival in August.
Marriott’s Helgen also expressed enthusiasm for initiatives that bolster the essence and value of tourism in Thailand.
“Looking ahead, as the boundaries blur between business and leisure, we envisage considerable opportunities in the extended-stay sector,” he concluded.
Japan is seeing the opening of more big-name and glitzy attractions, as companies seek to gain from the country’s tourism recovery.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter, which opened in June, is the second theme park based on the hit film series after the one in London, which has welcomed 17 million visitors since opening in 2012.
Covering 30,000m2, the Tokyo site is also the world’s largest Harry Potter attraction. Operated by Warner Bros. Studio Japan, it features exclusive sets from the film series, interactive experiences including using a green screen, F&B options and shops, with entry for adults priced at 6,300 yen (US$42).
Attractions based on Japanese characters are also expanding, due to their popularity at home and abroad.
Building on its 60 billion yen (US$403 million) investment to open Super Nintendo World in 2021, Universal Studios Japan, in July, launched attractions based on several animation series including One Piece, Detective Conan and Attack on Titan.
Ghibli Park, which opened in Nagoya Prefecture in 2022, has also expanded this year to add two new areas: Mononoke Village, which unveils Japan as it was in the fifteenth century, and Irontown Village, featuring giant sculptures of creatures from Studio Ghibli films.
Growth in theme park attendance is important to tourism recovery as Japan seeks increased consumption by visitors.
Theme parks and amusement parks across the country are welcoming fewer visitors than pre-pandemic, with recovery at just under 80 per cent, but those visitors are spending more. Consumption per person exceeded 10,000 yen for the first time in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
There are more products in the pipeline.
Tom’s City Circuit Tokyo Bay will open at the capital’s Odaiba waterfront in November, offering indoor and outdoor electric vehicle go-karting, as well as VR-based entertainment.
The company said the attraction can “help revitalise Tokyo’s night-time economy” as electric vehicles are quiet, allowing smooth operations at night.