Thai tourists favour China and Japan over South Korea

A marked decline in the number of Thai tourists travelling to South Korea has been observed over the past seven months, with many opting instead for trips to China and Japan. The Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) reported that 20,150 Thais visited South Korea in June, a significant drop from the 25,023 recorded during the same period last year.

This downward trend has persisted since November 2023, and during the first half of this year, South Korea attracted 168,328 Thai travellers, down 19.1% from 208,100 during the same period last year.

Vice-President of the Thai Travel Agents Association Chotechuang Soorangura noted that while South Korea saw a decline, the number of Thais travelling to Japan, China, and Europe continued to grow in the first half of the year. China, in particular, experienced a threefold increase due to a previously restrictive visa application process.

“The trend of outbound trips to South Korea will continue to decline as Thais now have more affordable options like Japan with a weak yen and China with low expenses and convenient entry.”

Europe has also seen a resurgence in Thai tourists, driven by a 15% reduction in airfares and accommodation costs, and the Paris Olympics, which is expected to boost demand for the rest of the year.

Chief executive of Thai AirAsia Santisuk Klongchaiya highlighted the importance of visa policies in influencing travel trends. Since the announcement of a permanent visa exemption between Thailand and China in March, Thai AirAsia has seen a 30% increase in Thai passengers on flights to China. The share of Thai passengers on these routes has risen from 10% pre-pandemic to 15% currently.

“The growth in Thai passengers to China helps offset the slow inbound Chinese market, which has been affected by stagnant economic conditions on the mainland.”

Santisuk anticipates that the proportion of Thai passengers on China routes will grow to 20% by the end of the year.

Chinese destinations such as Zhangjiajie, Shangri-La, Kunming, and Guangzhou continue to attract Thai tourists with their natural attractions and affordable travel costs.

Thai AirAsia’s flights to Japan also recorded strong numbers, with a 90% load factor in the first half of the year.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, 618,300 Thais visited Japan from January to June, up 24.2% year-on-year. Despite June being the low season, Japan welcomed 54,600 Thai travellers, a 6.3% increase compared to the same period last year, reported Bangkok Post.