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Thailand increasingly popular for Australians The first five months of 2010 has seen an increase of 18 percent in the numbers of Australians visiting Thailand, compared to the same period last year. Without including its immediate Asian neighbours, Australia provides the fourth highest number of foreign visitors to Thailand, behind Russia, Germany and the UK. The 275,945 Australians that visited Thailand by the end of May also recorded higher spending rates. Around AU$3.23 billion was spent, again the fourth highest recorded spending rates of visitors, excepting Thailand's Asian neighbours. But the increase in numbers has not translated into higher hotel occupancy rates. Marketing chairman of the Thai Hotels Association Ms Suprawan Tanomkieatipume said that Thailand's 30,000 four and five star hotels have showed occupancy of only 45 percent, down from normal figures of 75 percent. She added that these figures would rise again soon once more Australian and European visitors flock to the country for the high seasons of June to July, and December to January. The country's recent political turbulence has not affected investment, according to Ms Tanomkieatipume, who said that 4000 new rooms currently under construction would be available by the end of December. |
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