Hotels have seen an increase in bookings from government agencies aiming to utilize their fiscal 2023 budgets before the September 30 deadline. However, reservations for China’s national holiday in October need to be stronger.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, the president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), reported that hotel bookings for September have risen due to a 10-20% growth in meetings from both government and private sectors. Meeting bookings had stagnated in recent months as the country awaited the formation of a new government.
She explained that demand from state agencies and corporate clients had decreased in recent months due to political uncertainty. The business sector was hesitant to spend, and state officials wanted political clarity before allocating budget spending.
Hotels have received inquiries from many government agencies looking to spend their fiscal 2023 budget before the September 30 deadline.
However, bookings from Chinese travelers for their long holiday in the first week of October remain sparse. THA speculates that some are waiting to see if the new Thai prime minister will offer them a visa-free visit, as suggested.
Mrs. Marisa noted that a visa-free policy would benefit hotels that typically cater to Chinese guests, many of which are small, and some have been closed since the pandemic began.
Five-star hotels have regained healthy occupancy rates from individual guests with high purchasing power since Thailand reopened, according to Mrs. Marisa.
However, she mentioned that online travel agents in China, which have helped Thai hotels sell rooms, have expressed concerns about the country’s reputation in recent months based on viral posts on Chinese social media regarding unsafe travel conditions in Thailand.
During a meeting with the new Tourism Authority of Thailand governor, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, THA and several tourism operators requested the government to restart domestic tourism subsidy schemes, particularly those targeting second-tier cities.
Mrs. Marisa does not expect the Pheu Thai Party’s 10,000-baht giveaway to benefit the tourism sector, stating that it would be challenging to boost the domestic market without a stimulus program for tourism due to soaring household debts.
Regarding the government’s concern over the country’s aging demographics, with people aged 60 and older constituting 20% of the population, Mrs. Marisa suggested that employment in the hotel sector could help absorb active seniors who are capable of working in certain positions. She proposed that the government support training programs to recruit both new graduates struggling to find jobs and retired seniors looking to work, addressing the labor shortage in the sector.
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