Global demand continues to be a valuable source of bookings for Thai hoteliers. Inbound visitors to Thailand during this period were driven by top countries including the US, Japan, UK and Australia. On average, the booking window of its international travellers stretched over a month (36 days) with an average length of stay at 3 days.
BANGKOK, Thailand – Recent figures from the Expedia group, reveal that inbound travel has soared in the last 12 months ending Q1 2016.
Global demand continues to be a valuable source of bookings for Thai hoteliers. Inbound visitors to Thailand during this period were driven by top countries including the US, Japan, UK and Australia. On average, the booking window of its international travellers stretched over a month (36 days) with an average length of stay at 3 days.
Year-on-year growth shows top destinations in Thailand are Pattaya (+70%), Bangkok and Chiang Mai (+60%) followed by Phuket (+55%) and Koh Samui (+50%). Some smaller regions on the rise with an eye-catching triple-digit growth include Koh Lipe, Northeastern Thailand, Rayong, Trat, and Hat Yai.
One of the key insights for hoteliers to note is the remarkable performance by Expedia’s dynamic packages in Thailand. Created by combining multiple products together like air, car and hotel, Expedia’s packages allow travelers to save money. Data from the same period showed that package bookings generated a booking window over 1.5 times longer than standalone hotel bookings. In addition, cancellation rates of packages are also much lower compared to standalone bookings. Top package generating countries include Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, and Japan.
“Delivering global demand for Thai hoteliers is a mission for us. In particular, Expedia package bookings are attractive because they are a great way for hotels to build a strong base of customers without eroding their retail rates. Last year alone, we sold 7.1+ million packages globally.” says Pimpawee Nopakitgumjorn, director of market management at Expedia group.
Photo caption: Ocean Marina Pattaya, Thailand
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