Thailand goes up with solid steps
Summing up the results of 2012, tour operators working with
Thailand agreed that the destination turned out to be one of the most
successful in recent years. Natural disasters passed the country by and there
were no revolutionary activities. This was a good ground for a constant demand
from Russia. According to the players of the market, the demand increased by
20-30% compared to 2011.
This number almost
coincides with that of the Thailand Tourist Office in
General Director of
the Pegas Touristik Mrs. Anna Podgornaya says an average increase in sales is
30%, if compared to 2011. “Traditionally,
South-East Asia is growing thanks to Siberian regions. However, recently,
citizens of central Russia got interested in local resorts, which made it
possible to expand our charter programs from Moscow”, noted Mrs. Podgornaya.
Meanwhile, according to the expert, Thailand still can’t be called the leader
among winter beach destinations. Despite the disorders, a significant number of
tourists went to Egypt this season. Mainly it happened due to low prices.
“The catastrophic
flood in
There were no difficulties
with the New Year sales. There
were almost no last-minute travel offers and the most popular hotels were
booked in advance at average prices. “One can note that the interest for
Thailand is not jading, as the Russians actively explore the country. For their
vacation, they choose not only Pattaya and Phuket, but Koh Samui, Samet and Phi
Phi as well. Besides, there is some interest for tailor-made itineraries –
excursion tours, spa-hotels, wedding ceremonies at Thai resorts”, noted Ms.
Ayzerman.
According to the Head
of PR-service of TUI Company Mrs. Natalya Novikova, this winter Thai
destination’s prices favorably differ from those of the previous year; positively
influencing the demand of the after-flood period. “Thailand has pleased us. Sales for the New
Year and Christmas periods were better than we expected”, she noted, stressing
that most of the tours were bought in advance – in October-November 2012. Mrs.
Novikova estimates the annual increment to be not more than 20%. A constant
demand, according to her, led to high rates of sales and an excellent margin of
tours. The representative of TUI also added that even in January the demand
remains enviable. As for now, the tours are being booked till April.
It shall be noted that
the Chinese New Year (February 10), usually the most unprofitable period, didn’t
cause any concerns this year. According
to Anna Podgornaya, the demand for these dates beat the Russian New Year. At
the same time, most tourists booked Thai’s most popular
hotels for the holidays in advance.
The Deputy Director on
Tourism of Vand International Tour Company Mrs. Evgenia Khohlova agrees that
the demand for Thailand is growing, but the situation doesn’t seem that
optimistic to her: “Despite the fact that the market players were very careful
in 2012 (as the memories of the previous season are still quite fresh) and
didn’t inflate the amounts, it’s still rather difficult to make money on the
destination – tours are sold with a rather small margin”.
Besides, the experts
point out the increase in the number of FITs. According to the operators, this was caused by the collapse in
confidence after a series of travel agencies’ bankruptcies.