Thailand: Analysis of Destination 2015-2018

Thailand is in the TOP 10 foreign countries visited by Russian tourists. According to the annually published data of Rosstat, Rosturism and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, the country was visited by:

2015 year - 675,089 Russian tourists
2016 year - 866,597 Russian tourists 
2017 year - 1,094,000 Russian tourists 
2018 year - 1,700,000 Russian tourists 

At the media briefing held during ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 in Vietnam it was announced by the representative of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, that China remains the leader in tourist traffic to Thailand, while Russia is on the first position among non-Asian countries and the first in terms of annual growth in the number of tourists. 

Today, Thailand offers tourists a lot of entertainment and leisure activities. This is primarily a beach holiday, as well as sightseeing, wedding, wellness, medical, shopping and ecotourism. One of the famous brands in Thailand, for which adult tourists come here, is a transvestite show. However, the Alcazar show and the Tiffany show in Pattaya may be visited with children, there is nothing indecent there. All the roles in the show are performed by men - just like in the legendary Japanese kabuki theater. 

Among Russians the most popular holiday destinations in Thailand are the city of Pattaya, the islands of Phuket and Samui. Pattaya is a relatively inexpensive and world-famous resort. Here you can find a record number of nightclubs and go-go bars, watch adult shows. The islands attract tourists by comfortable clean beaches, beautiful nature, the opportunity of diving, windsurfing and fishing. 

You can relax in Thailand almost at any time of the year, but the November-February season is considered as a beach season, when the weather is dry and not as hot as in spring and summer. 

Simplified visa regime also contributes to Thailand’s popularity. A visa is not required for the Russian citizens if the visit is of a tourist nature and duration of stay in the country will last no more than 30 days. 

Among all the leading Russian tour operators at the beginning of autumn 2018 Thailand was on the first line with the highest sales volume of tours for the winter season 2018/2019. Tour operators plan to grow the flight programs. This year almost all the leading tour operators declared volumes of transportation higher than in the winter season of 2017/2018. 

In 2019 PEGAS Touristik will fly to Bangkok from 33 cities of Russia (from 21 cities in 2018), from Moscow - 4 times a week. Flights to Phuket will be from 38 cities of Russia (last season - from 25 cities), from Moscow - daily. The frequency of flights to Bangkok and Phuket in the winter season traditionally increases to 2-3 times a week against summer period, tourists are offered tours from 3 to 28 nights. The flights of Nordwind, Pegas fly are operated on the wings of A 330-200 and B 777-200.  

Coral Travel’s flight program to Thailand is also expanded compared to last year. In the winter season 2018/2019 the flights to Bangkok, Phuket and Utapao will be performed from 28 cities of Russia, including Moscow (last year - from 25 cities). Departures from Moscow are daily, from most regions - 1 time in 11-12 days. The program uses airplanes of Royal Flight, Nordwind and Pegas fly airlines. 

ANEX Tour’s flight program on the wings of AZUR air has also grown in volumes. It will be carried out from 19 cities to Phuket and from 20 cities to Pattaya (last year - from 14 cities to all the resorts of Thailand). 

The own flight program of Biblio-Globus tour operator to Thailand remained within the volume of last year and will be carried out on the wings of Rossia airline from Moscow on the routs Moscow - Phuket and Moscow - Bangkok. The flights to Phuket will take place 5 days a week from October to March, except Monday and Thursday, to Bangkok - twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays during the entire winter period of 2019. 

This year the flight program to Thailand of TUI Russia is based on both charter and regular transport. So, a charter program to Phuket is planned with iFly airline from 10/17/2018 until 05/11/2019. Tours will be offered not only from Moscow, but also from St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Samara, Kazan, Mineralnye Vody, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Voronezh and Vladivostok. 

In 2019 Intourist tour operator has blocks of seats in S7 airline from Novosibirsk to Bangkok (2 times a week) and in Singapore Airlines from Moscow (1 time a week). 

Tour operators PAC Group, ICS Travel Group and KMP Group offer tours to various regions of Thailand on the basis of direct flights of Thai Airways, Aeroflot, as well as on the basis of connecting flights - for example, Emirates or Qatar Airways. 

Facing the positive expectations in Thailand, tour operators in the 2018/2019 season contracted more hotels than last year. 

PEGAS Touristik has an increase in the hotel base in Phuket - 336 objects (308 last year) and in Pattaya - 219 objects (last year - 197). The number of guaranteed blocks in hotels also increases (in Phuket the number of such hotels is 243, in Pattaya - 159). 

“Biblio-Globus in the winter season of 2019 has planned quotas for more than 70% of hotels in Phuket and Pattaya, the tour operator’s base will be replenished with new interesting accommodation facilities,” the company reports. 

ANEX Tour has concluded contracts for more than 1,200 hotels in all the regions of Thailand for the winter season of 2019 

The forecasts of tour operators (both mass and specializing in individual expensive tours) for Thai destination in 2019 are very optimistic. According to the experts, the opening of Egypt could be the single factor which can really negatively affect in the demand for holidays in Thailand.