Tourism operators in Chiang Mai are enjoying a banner February thanks to cold weather and a number of festivals.
The average hotel occupancy rate in Chiang Mai is expected to reach 85% this month, higher than the same period last year, while room rates have already increased by 8-10% since last month, said the northern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA).
Chiang Mai's tourism industry is booming, driven by the Chiang Mai Flower Festival from Feb 5-7 and Chinese New Year celebrations from Feb 7-10. Valentine’s Day is next Sunday.
The chapter expects 1 billion baht in tourism revenue from the flower and Chinese New Year festivals.
Unusual and extended cold weather is the most important factor for the tourism boom in Chiang Mai. Temperatures were below 5 degrees Celsius on mountains and about 10 degrees in urban areas last weekend, said Wisut Buachum, director of the Chiang Mai office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
"Many Thais like to enjoy cold temperatures in Chiang Mai while foreign tourists escape the extreme cold weather in their countries to visit Thailand," he said.
This has been the coldest period in five years for Chiang Mai, Mr Wisut said. The weather will warm up eventually but people can still enjoy cool breezes throughout this month, which should make foreign tourists feel more comfortable in the northern province.
"The positive tourism sentiment will continue all year round thanks to the growth of Chinese travellers," he said.
The TAT is confident Chiang Mai's tourism revenue will grow at least 10-15% to 88 billion baht this year, beating the nationwide tourism revenue growth forecast of 8%.
The city’s 720th anniversary will be celebrated during the Songkran festival in April, with more than 20 events planned. The TAT hopes the event will help to spur tourism in the second quarter, traditionally the low season for Chiang Mai.
Chapter president La-iad Bungsrithong said continued good sentiment could keep room rates in the second quarter at the same level as the first. Chiang Mai boasts 40,000 hotel rooms, which Ms La-iad said was a good balance between supply and demand.
Tourist arrivals to Chiang Mai from China remain strong even with the Chinese economy slowing. The growth of low-cost airline and charter flight routes between the two is driving the tourism boom.