Thailand has been rated the second best long-haul destination in the 2013 Travel Trends Report issued by the UK tour operator Kuoni. It has also been rated amongst the Top Ten in other categories such as for Weddings, Honeymoons and for Singles.
Listing the top three selling destinations for 2013 as the Maldives, Thailand, Sri Lanka, the report says,
“The fact that Thailand occupies the No 2 slot in our Top 10 Destinations is no surprise. The country offers holidays for everyone from captivating cities such as Bangkok with its floating markets to small island hideaways to languish in, overlaid with a friendly, open culture.”
It adds, “The world’s austere economic outlook will drive a greater need for opportunities to escape the doom and gloom. The power of a holiday will not diminish and the allure of the Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka will continue.”
Kuoni has been undertaking the annual Travel Trends Report since 1980. Figures in the 2013 Report are based on statistics from booking patterns made between January to December 2012 for holidays during 2012 and 2013, actual passenger numbers, customer behaviour and feedback. The figures are based on holiday bookings made up until December 2012.
Said TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni,
“The trends indicated in the Kuoni report are proof that the entire Thai tourism industry has got its marketing and product-development strategies right. Keeping a watch on lifestyle trends and demographic changes has helped us to ensure that we target our customers correctly. We are very happy to see the results.”
The following is a compilation of the mentions of Thailand and its various tourism products in the report:
Top 10 Destinations: The fact that Thailand occupies the No 2 slot in Kuoni Top 10 Destinations is no surprise. The country offers holidays for everyone from captivating cities such as Bangkok with its floating markets to small island hideaways to languish in, overlaid with a friendly, open culture. Thailand also retains it second spot.
Synonymous with excellent value and outstanding service, in 2013 Kuoni is offering ten exclusive properties, from Trip Advisor’s top choice – Rocky’s in a private location on the lush island of Ko Samui – to the new, laid back charm of Let’s Sea in Hua Hin and the family friendly Holiday Inn Mai Khao in Phuket, which offers Kids Suits including play corner, games console, iPod docking station and so on.
Top 10 Wedding Destinations: Thailand in sixth place, up from seven last year, is another great value destination. Hotels such as the secluded Centara Villas on a private beach offers a “Just the two of us” packages for approximately £450 that takes some beating.
Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations: Thailand in third place, up from fourth last year, excels in smaller hideaway resorts perfect for honeymoons. Places such as Six Senses Yao Noi, Ko Lanta, and Khao Lak are making their mark alongside Thailand’s excellent beach and city-based resorts. At Yao Noi, Mountain View villas are elevated above lush, tropical forest while at Ko Lanta each of the 55 hideaway villas have private pools and are set into the hillside that is part of a mature rubber tree plantation.
Top 5 Holidays for Singles: Thailand stays firm in the Number 1 slot, with a host of tours to choose from, renowned personal service, iconic sites and fabulous food. Single travellers can choose between a volunteering holiday in Chiang Mai, unspoilt beach resorts to languish in, rich cultural traditions to dip in and out of and unparalleled landscapes to marvel at.
Thailand has achieved record-breaking visitor arrivals, crossing the 22 million mark for the first time in 2012. Figures tabulated by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports for January – December 2012 show total arrivals by nationality of 22,303,065, up 15.98 percent over 2011.
Commenting on the performance, TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said, “We are overjoyed to have achieved this result in the year the people of Thailand commemorated the 85th birthday of His Majesty the King. It is also a tribute to the cooperation and creativity of the entire Thai travel & tourism industry for the huge effort that has been made to ensure that travel & tourism remains a leading industry for job creation, distribution of income nationwide and contribution to culture, heritage and environmental preservation.”
The governor said that the primary contributor to this result was the prevalence of global, regional and local peace and stability. “Last year, the world was generally at peace and there were no major geopolitical, economic, environmental or natural disasters and no health pandemics. Travel & tourism can only flourish worldwide if the underlying conditions that support it remain free of disturbance and disruption. That is one of the most important lessons for the entire industry to learn worldwide,” he said.
