More luxury for less: Thailand’s plan to attract elite tourists
Country targets 10% annual growth in luxury market from wellness, sport and romance attractions amid fierce competition from regional rivals
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on Friday announced plans to attract luxury tourists with four niche markets, offering them better value than regional rivals and targeting up to 10% growth annually.
Jirawadee Khunsap, TAT’s deputy governor for products and tourism business at TAT, said luxury, wellness, sport and romance attractions will be developed to lure more high-quality tourists.
Luxury tourism was valued at up to 70 billion baht per year, she said, with this figure expected to grow 8-10% annually as tourism recovers and trends towards the niche markets.
Hotspots for luxury tourists last year were Bangkok, Phuket, Chonburi (Pattaya), Krabi and Koh Samui. They spent an average of 77,693 baht per trip, or 6,171 each day, and typically stayed around nine to 10 days in Thailand.
The plan to leverage luxury comes amid fierce competition from regional rivals, including Japan, which overtook Thailand in foreign tourist arrivals for the first time last year. Jirawadee pointed out that Thailand is also competing with established luxury destinations like Singapore, Dubai and Maldives.
However, the Thai luxury market has room to grow, driven by its many four- and five-star hotels, premium services, and wide variety of natural and cultural attractions, she said.
Thailand’s reputation for safety and hospitality will also boost confidence and satisfaction among high-quality tourists, she added.
“We can use luxury to penetrate major markets like China, the US and the Middle East with tourism products that meet their demands.”
Thailand’s cost-effective travel and entertainment options also give it an edge over luxury rivals, she suggested.
The TAT’s short-term plan (1-3 years) is to host world-class events such as international music festivals, conferences, sporting competitions and fashion shows, while collaborating with luxury brands to offer outstanding experiences for high-spending visitors.
Its long-term plan (3-5 years) focuses on personal tour packages, along with wellness, art, and cultural attractions, Jirawadee said.
Infrastructure upgrades for airports, ports (for yachts), luxury destinations, public transport, and luxury car rental would also help to boost the number of high-spending tourists, she added.
