Pattaya hotel occupancy rebounded from a dismal 2015 during the first nine months of last year, but last year’s high season disappointed, according to the Thai Hotels Association Eastern Region.
THA-E President Sanphet Suphabuansathien said in Jan. that most Pattaya hotels showed year-on-year increases of 10-20 percent from January through September.
However, he said, the 2016 high season from January through April saw average occupancy of only 50 percent, far below what many had hoped.
He attributed the poor high season to higher rates hotels and resorts usually post during the period. However, those prices were out of touch with the actual market, he said.
The past year was challenging for hoteliers, Sanphet said, due to the continued absence of Russian travelers due to the weak ruble and the government crackdown on Chinese “zero baht” tours.
The hospitality industry is hopeful, he said, that 2017 will bring a rebound powered by a small resurgence in the Chinese market and a stronger push from Indian tourists.
