Australian Market To Thailand Drops

The Australian summer market to Thailand (December/January/February) period registered a 4% decline compared to the same period the previous year.

That said, the absolute number of 195,55 Australians versus 204,209 is fairly flat in the large scale of things.

Speaking to hoteliers and agents, one key part of the puzzle is that two high-profile terrorism alerts occurred during the period that received little play in Thailand but were big news Down Under.

Another factor has been diminishing airlift with one case in point being Singapore’s Tigerair dropping services to Perth from Singapore which many travelers used to connect to Thailand.

Australia and the global slashing of  energy prices are also a contributing economic factor.

Currency is another key issue with the depreciation of the Aussie dollar against the Thai baht which has slashed tourist’s spending power.

Looking forward at the full year 2016, the Australian winter season (August/September) will be a better indicator if numbers to the Kingdom will be restrained on a continued basis.

From our talks with hoteliers in Phuket this year is shaping up to see strong growth in broad terms with a better then expected low and shoulder season anticipated that will positively impact annualized occupancy.