Thais were estimated to make 2.6 million domestic travels totaling around 8.76 billion baht during the National Mother’s Day long weekend, which ran from August 12-14. The figure slipped from the same period last year due to inflation and various other factors.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said authorities expected a decrease in domestic travel for the long weekend, as most Thais already made trips during the six-day holiday at the end of July. Travels this time around were expected to consist of day trips to nearby destinations, resulting in lower spending on hotel accommodations and tourist-related services.
A recent survey by the Tourism Council of Thailand on trips for the weekend aligned with the TAT’s forecast, with 23% of respondents planning to travel within their province. Around 21% were looking to spend the night in the nearby provinces, while nearly 20% would arrange day trips to other areas.
Meanwhile, the TAT reported that Bangkok was the most popular domestic destination for the long holiday weekend of July 28 to August 2, with over 600,000 trips totaling 3.13 billion baht in tourism revenue. The eastern region was the second most visited with 367,190 trips, bringing in 1.34 billion baht in tourism earnings. The northern provinces came in third, with 290,350 visits and revenue of 1.11 billion baht. (NNT)
