90% of Hong Kong travellers craving travel to Thailand this year

A recent survey found that a massive majority of people in Hong Kong are dying to visit Thailand and are planning to travel to the Kingdom within the next year. The survey was conducted in partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Hong Kong office and Klook, and interviewed 3,000 residents in Hong Kong about their thoughts on Thai tourism. 94% listed Thailand in their top 5 travel destination choices with 86% saying they would go to Thailand within the next year.

A whopping 90% of survey respondents said they desire to travel to Thailand within the next year – with 74% rating their excitement to go to Thailand an 8 out of 10 and 35% giving a full 10 out of 10 rating. Hong Kong residents frequently make Thailand a vacation destination with 57% of those surveyed saying that before Covid they had taken Thai holidays at least five times previously.

The TAT has been pushing to attract more tourists from Southeast Asia and South Asia, teaming up with Thai AirAsia in April to promote regional travel. Hong Kong travellers are a valuable market to capture for tourism to Thailand as 55% of travellers in the survey said they spend between 23,000 and 46,000 baht per person on their trips.

The low prices and finally relaxed Covid-19 measures drove the Hong Kong people’s passion for Thailand, with 63% saying they would choose Thailand due to the inexpensiveness of life there and 54% liked the country because they wouldn’t have to quarantine. 45% of people mentioned loving the Thai cuisine with 42% particularly craving mango sticky rice. Low-priced accommodations also helped, with 42% of those surveyed mentioning affordable hotels as a driving factor.

So where do Hong Kong citizens want to go within the Kingdom? The capital city topped the list with 82% of respondents liking Bangkok best, followed by 53% picking Phuket, 48% craving Chiang Mai, 36% selecting Samui, and 31% preferring Pattaya.

Festivals garnered interest among Hong Kong travellers with 62% of people curious to take part in the wet new year’s celebrations of Songkran, 43% of people interested in the floating festival of Loy Krathong, and 21% want to attend a music festival in Thailand.

Nature and cultural experiences are big draws for those interviewed, with 39% mentioning hiking to watch Thailand’s beautiful sunrises, many mentioning marine conservation for sharks or sea turtles (31%) or coral planting (28%). 36% would like to delve into the local culture by doing homestays, and 42% were interested in coffee and tea gardens.

SOURCE: Marketing Interactive