Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
- CEOCambodiaNews
- Expatriate
- Posts: 62322
- Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 5:13 am
- Reputation: 4033
- Location: CEO Newsroom in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Contact:
Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
Sanpetch Suppabawonsathien, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said the Russian tourist market in Pattaya was slumping for the first time in 12 years.
"Hotel room reservations from the Russian market have already dropped by 70% for this high season," he said.
Pattaya hoteliers are facing a difficult time due to pressure from travel agents to cut surcharges and gala dinners from tour programmes in the peak season and to sell special packages for Russian tourists.
With the impact from the weak rouble, the number of Russian visitors to Pattaya should drop by more than 50% this year, Mr Sanpetch said.
Pattaya hoteliers need to shift their focus to the Asian market, especially China, he said. But most Chinese travellers prefer to stay in two-star hotels rather than luxury ones.
Chinese visitors have overtaken Russians as the biggest market for Pattaya.
Russian travellers prefer to book hotel rooms or package tours at the last minute.
Some Pattaya hotels are operating at only 30% capacity in high season.
Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), said the association is very worried and closely monitoring the economic crisis in Russia. Bookings from Russians remain sluggish even in high season.
Russian arrivals to Thailand through ATTA's member tour agents are estimated to average about 80,000 a month but negative factors, especially the weak rouble, will lower that number to only 50,000.
Mr Sisdivachr said arrivals from Russia to Thailand through its member tour agents would drop by at least 30% for the whole year. As of Nov 30, arrivals through ATTA members had declined by 26% to 410,325.
The economic downturn in Russia has affected demand for overseas holidays. While Thai travel agents mainly rely on the Russian market, the big players have moved to promote other destinations instead of Thailand.
In the first 10 months, arrivals from Russia to Thailand decreased by only 0.03% to 1.262 million visitors. The negative trend of the Russian tourist market started in May and sharply worsened in October as the economic crisis deepened.
The Department of Tourism recently revealed that arrivals from Russia continued to drop in November, falling by 21% to 181,888 visitors.
At present, the Russian market is the third-biggest market for Thai tourism.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tou ... a-big-miss
Join the Cambodia Expats Online Telegram Channel: https://t.me/CambodiaExpatsOnline
Cambodia Expats Online: Bringing you breaking news from Cambodia before you read it anywhere else!
Have a story or an anonymous news tip for CEO? Need advertising? CONTACT US
Cambodia Expats Online is the most popular community in the country. JOIN TODAY
Follow CEO on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
Cambodia Expats Online: Bringing you breaking news from Cambodia before you read it anywhere else!
Have a story or an anonymous news tip for CEO? Need advertising? CONTACT US
Cambodia Expats Online is the most popular community in the country. JOIN TODAY
Follow CEO on social media:
YouTube
- frank lee bent
- Expatriate
- Posts: 11330
- Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 4:10 am
- Reputation: 2094
Re: Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
Now if they could only lose the other 30% of the Russians, and then all the Indians.
- Bitte_Kein_Lexus
- Expatriate
- Posts: 4421
- Joined: Sun May 18, 2014 7:32 pm
- Reputation: 1325
Re: Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
Haha, yep! Typical Russians... Since soviet times, a vacation for Russians equals spending as much money as you can in the shortest amount of time possible, then heading back home. Hopefully this means fewer Russkies here as well.Soi Dog wrote:Now if they could only lose the other 30% of the Russians, and then all the Indians.
Ex Bitteeinbit/LexusSchmexus
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 1640
- Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 2:40 pm
- Reputation: 1
Re: Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
A friend lives up on Pratumnak Hill which is little Moscow and he says they're missing this year. There's still plenty down here in SHV, but it's a lot cheaper than Pattaya. If the ruble keeps cratering they'll have to find a nice beach resort in Bangladesh to hang.
- Cowshed Cowboy
- Expatriate
- Posts: 2033
- Joined: Thu May 15, 2014 4:25 pm
- Reputation: 978
Re: Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
I thought at the time the decision to relax visa rules for the Chinese was a shrewd move on the junta's part. If there was a drop in numbers due to the adverse political decision they could fill the void with the Chinese and those key headline numbers would look like business as usual. As it turns out it looks like they may be relying on them to take up the Russian slack.
I'll be interested to see if has an effect on the condo market as I can only assume it has been Russians that have been the main buyers. Pratumnak as you say Wacky, and also Naklua.
I'll be interested to see if has an effect on the condo market as I can only assume it has been Russians that have been the main buyers. Pratumnak as you say Wacky, and also Naklua.
Yes sir, I can boogie, I can boogie, boogie, boogie all night long.
- phuketrichard
- Expatriate
- Posts: 16790
- Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 5:17 pm
- Reputation: 5733
- Location: Atlantis
Re: Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
GF works at a pre school and over the last week, 4 of the 7 Russian parents have pulled their kids and their heading home
Cant afford to stay,
Going to get worse for them as time goes on, Putin is really fucking things up
Cant afford to stay,
Going to get worse for them as time goes on, Putin is really fucking things up
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 1640
- Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 2:40 pm
- Reputation: 1
Re: Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
No fan of Putin, but the problems are almost entirely due to the dramatic drop in oil prices. Their economy has not been diversified at all (I guess that is his fault) and is entirely resource based.
Re: Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
This is just their excuse. The truth is...The economic downturn in Russia has affected demand for overseas holidays...
Many nationalities have been warned to avoid Thailand due to pending civil unrest. Plus, as noted above, it's cheaper and better in neighbouring countries....the big players have moved to promote other destinations instead of Thailand.
Is that what they said? If so, it was their way of being polite. Most likely they're moving to Vietnam and didn't want the Thais to 'lose face'.4 of the 7 Russian parents have pulled their kids and their heading home
Cant afford to stay,
So, it's not just the Russians that are leaving then. Where's everyone else?Some Pattaya hotels are operating at only 30% capacity in high season.
That was, just coincidentally, the month that the coup occurred.The negative trend of the Russian tourist market started in May...
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I may be going to hell in a bucket,
but at least I'm enjoying the ride.
I may be going to hell in a bucket,
but at least I'm enjoying the ride.
Re: Russian Tourists Visiting Thailand Down 70%
Don't you live in Jomtien? That is Ruskie central. Half the business signs there are in Russian, as I recall.Cowshed Cowboy wrote:I'll be interested to see if has an effect on the condo market as I can only assume it has been Russians that have been the main buyers. Pratumnak as you say Wacky, and also Naklua.
Anyway, oil never stays cheap for very long. In a few months it will be back to $100 per barrel and it will be business as usual. Enjoy the somewhat-cheap gasoline while you can. Those who buy into Russian stocks or currency near the bottom will be very happy in a few years.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 13 Replies
- 3688 Views
-
Last post by Doc67
-
- 15 Replies
- 4010 Views
-
Last post by ash333
-
- 6 Replies
- 2771 Views
-
Last post by Doc67
-
- 32 Replies
- 6227 Views
-
Last post by techietraveller84
-
- 11 Replies
- 6097 Views
-
Last post by yong
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 193 guests