Economic Slump Fails to Make a Dent in Thailand’s Spanish Outbound Market

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) remains optimistic that tourist arrivals from Spain will increase by 20 percent this year despite that country facing a recession.

The expectation is based on Thailand remaining a value-for-money destination, particularly for honeymoons, said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, the TAT's deputy governor for international marketing in Asia and the South Pacific.

The economic crisis is spreading in Europe but particularly to the PIIGS (Portuguese, Iceland, Italy, Greece, and Spain) countries. The TAT reported the number of Spanish tourist arrivals increased by 21.5 percent to 39,988 visitors in the first half of this year. The full-year figure is projected at 116,000 arrivals, up by 20 percent from last year.

However, she said the TAT must still closely monitor the economic problem and prepare for possible crisis repercussions. Even if arrival numbers rise, the length of stay and amount spent by European tourists may decline.

She said the Caribbean has been a traditional favorite of Spanish honeymooners, but this is changing as knowledge of Thai tourism destinations improves. To this end, the TAT will attend wedding and trade fairs in Spain to feature Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui. The most popular honeymoon period for Spanish couples is May-August.

Per-head spending by honeymooners in Thailand is three times higher than the 3,773 baht per day averaged by general tourists. The average length of stay for both is 14 days. Besides Spain, the TAT will also target honeymoon couples in other potential markets including the US with a major campaign planned for next February.