The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set an ambitious target to lure one million tourists from Hong Kong to Thailand in 2024.
Ms. Pornmon Jansri, Director of TAT’s Hong Kong Office revealed that Hong Kong tourists are considered a high-potential market, especially among couples looking to tie the knot. Therefore, TAT is planning marketing campaigns to encourage this group to travel to Thailand for destination weddings, given the diverse range of tourist attractions, especially beaches and seaside venues.
“Each year, there are approximately 50,000 couples from Hong Kong who choose to get married, with about 10% of them opting for destination weddings abroad, especially the younger generation. These are travelers with high spending power who seek convenience and are willing to invest in hassle-free wedding experiences. Thailand offers a competitive advantage in this regard, as it provides a wide range of wedding venues and streamlined wedding planning compared to Hong Kong, where lengthy queues for registration and hotel bookings can be a common hassle, along with high costs,” she explained.
She further mentioned that in the first seven months of 2023, approximately 454,008 Hong Kong tourists visited Thailand. TAT has set a target of 700,000 Hong Kong tourists for 2023, with an estimated average expenditure of 10,000 Baht per person per day, or 30,000 Baht per person per trip. For 2024, TAT aims to increase the spending of Hong Kong tourists by 10% and raise the number of Hong Kong visitors to one million.
“The competitive advantage of Thailand lies in its easy accessibility, with just a three-hour flight from Hong Kong. This makes Thailand the second most preferred destination for Hong Kong travelers after Japan. Popular destinations include Bangkok, Phuket, Samui, and Chiang Mai. However, a major challenge to expanding the Hong Kong tourist market is the insufficient number of flights, exacerbated by the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some airlines yet to fully resume Thailand-Hong Kong routes,” she noted. (TNA)
