National —
On August 12th, 2024, Mr. Suksit Suvundikul, the President of the Southern Hotel Association and Vice-President of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), reported a remarkable 140% recovery in tourism in the south during Q3 2024 compared to the same period last year.
While the current season slowed down travel, markets like China saw a modest 55% recovery, the lowest among international markets. In contrast, other key markets, including Russia, India, Australia, the UK, and the US, have exceeded 100% recovery compared to pre-pandemic COVID-19 levels in 2019, according to Suksit.
Despite heavy rains impacting travel in the south, hotel occupancy in Q3 reached over 60%, slightly higher than Q2 and up by 5-10% from 2023. The Middle Eastern market, particularly Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Israel, and Qatar, saw a surge in July, with travelers drawn to Thailand’s rainy season, said Suksit.
Looking ahead, the peak tourist season in Q4 is expected to boost occupancy rates to 70-80%. Currently, 50 international airlines operate 4,720 flights, while six domestic airlines manage 4,016 flights, totaling approximately 280 flights per day, serving 45,000 passengers, added Suksit.
This is expected to rise to 50,000 daily during the high season. The main limitations for further growth are the single runway and 34 parking bays at Phuket Airport. In 2024, total passenger numbers have recovered to 107.11% of 2019 levels, concluded Suksit.
