Tourist Arrivals Still Falling

[waerth]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tourism/427068/july-tourist-arrivals-fall-10-9

 

The number of international tourists arriving in Thailand in July fell 10.9% from a year earlier, according to data from the Department of Tourism, showing the industry has not recovered from the impact of prolonged political tension.

The lucrative tourism sector, which accounts for about 10% of the economy, suffered its biggest drop in visitors in June - the first full month after the army took power on May 22 in a bid to end tensions and get economic activity going again.

International arrivals in July totalled 1.91 million, compared with 1.56 million in June and 2.15 million in July 2013, according to data posted on the department's website late Friday.

 

Arrivals from China, the country's single biggest visitor source accounting for 18% of all tourists in July, tumbled 25.3%.

For the first seven months of the year, international arrivals totalled 13.62 million, down 10.7% from 15.26 million a year earlier, an even steeper drop than the first-half decline of 9.9%.

 

By region, arrivals from East Asia were down 17.6% for the first seven months of 2014 from a year earlier. Arrivals were up 3.1% from Europe and 9.6% from Africa. Declines were seen from the Americas (3.5%), the Middle East (6.9%), South Asia (10%) and Oceania (1.6%).

 

Arrivals from Asean, which account for 26.8% of all foreign tourists, were down 9.8%.

Among large individual markets, Malaysia accounted for 9.8% of all visitors to Thailand and arrivals through July were down 19.9% from a year earlier to 1.34 million. Visitors from Japan (5% of the total) were down 21%, South Korea (4.6% share) declined 17%, the United States (3.3% share) fell 5.2% and Australian arrivals (3.6% share) were off 1.1%.

The United Kingdom, with a 4% share of all visitors to Thailand, was one of the few large markets to record a gain, of 6.2%.

[Flashermac]

For comparison, how are the tourism figures for other countries in the region? Is this just Thailand, or is tourism down overall?

[cavanami]

OK Flash, since you volunteered for this detail, get the stats for SE Asia...

[Flashermac]

http://www.asean.org...rism-statistics

 

[BelgianBoy]

how do you round off errors.....?

[Mekong]

6.85 Million in VN no way 685K tops says the sad cunt in Vietnam

[My Penis is hungry]

Just going on the queues at immigration, as I fly in and out weekly, turnaround, tourist numbers rising, I now wait 3-5 minutes rather than 1 minute to see a officer, note before, it was usually 10-20 minutes

[cavanami]

Thai Immi should have the real numbers. When I fly from Europe back to BKK, the planes are full.

 

From Tokyo to BKK, the planes are full.

 

I also see more Thais on the planes returning home...so what are the real tourists numbers

[YimSiam]

Come on, anyone who spends a day or two in Bangkok these days can see that business is DEAD - the only folks making money are out at Mor Chit selling "Go Home To Your VIllage Until Things Get Better" bus tickets... Maybe I spend too much time with the wrong crowd in the wrong places, but it certainly seems that tourists are way down - yet, indeed there are quite a few Indian, Arab, and varied Chinese (PRC, Taiwan, Malaysia) thronging the 7-11 - probably the less-than-well-received 'kaek' elements have been a lifesaver for Thai tourism in recent years, with budget airlines and cheap package deals it's clearly the place to be for Indians out to see the world for the first time.

 

Thailand's reputation has probably suffered with the rise of the current regime, folks worried about violence and inconvenience, and really, who wants to go on holiday to a state ruled by Martial Law? Wrong reason not to come - there's no risk, it's just that the regime is focused on turning the country into a tidy, obedient, puritanical, nationalist state -- which is, obviously, a very virtuous goal that both reflects and produces enormous karmic benefit of those who lead. But the noble banana republic ideal so yearned for, that's a vision of LoS that can suck the life out of the Thai tourism that people crave: chaotic markets, ad hoc beach restaurants etc that show Thais great entrepreneurial spirit, nightlife that only stops when you've had enough, and those eternal Thai smiles and mai pen rai attitude. Going, going, gone... just like those buses back up the Mahasarakham and Nongkhai.

 

YimSiam

[JaiRai]

I get the impression that a lot of expats on the ground see recent events in one way: country falling apart on verge of violence due to corrupt self serving political clan leaders unwilling to compromise. Need a Paternal political 'father figure' to take control and straighten things out before shit hits the fan.

 

But, outsiders see it a different way: Military leaders consolidate power and control of the country, clamp down on personal liberties and media.

 

The truth is probably somewhere in between (or not), but I know a lot of folks who have taken Thailand off their destination list for the time being, waiting to see what happens.

 

Waiting to see.