Online travel platform Klook expects at least 2 million bookings for tourism packages in Thailand this year, doubling growth from last year, as the country remains a top destination in Asia, particularly for tourists from China and the US.
Eric Gnock Fah, co-founder and chief operating officer of Klook, said Thai tourism has recovered strongly alongside Japan on the platform, compared with other destinations in Asia.
Last year, Klook sold over a million packages in Thailand, double the 2019 level, and the momentum should continue this year, said Mr Gnock Fah.
The driver of booking growth this year will be new tour packages catering to growing demand, he said.
In addition to popular destinations such as floating markets and the Grand Palace, the company is preparing to expand to new destinations upcountry, such as Khao Yai and Chiang Mai.
Mr Gnock Fah said Chinese tourists will still be a major market, as seen by strong growth during the recent Chinese New Year. The visa-free scheme for Chinese nationals also helped stimulate the incoming flow.
He said travellers from the US should also ramp up, becoming top customers for Klook, driven by the improving economy and strong US dollar.
Many Americans are first-time visitors to Thailand, favouring programmes such as the Grand Palace and city tours, while many Chinese tourists opt for spas, massages and other luxury experiences.
He added the platform will invest more in collaborating with festival and concert organisers this year, aligned with the Tourism Authority of Thailand's soft power roadmap, as it will offer water festival tour routes for the Songkran holiday week.
"Coming out of the Covid pandemic, people are looking for more bold experiences like events, concerts and festivals," said Mr Gnock Fah.
According to Klook's survey in 2023, over 49% of tourists attended such events while travelling.
Events and concerts will be sold as a bundle package with other services, such as hotels and car rental.
Last year, Klook promoted a Taylor Swift concert in Singapore and sold its tickets as a combined package with hotels and recorded high sales among Thai tourists.
During the Taylor Swift concert, tourists spent 4-5 times more than the ticket value during their trips on shopping, food and accommodation.
He said this data proved that mega events are now an essential feature to stimulate inbound tourism.
Klook also saw the average booking value for Thailand products increase by 30% compared to 2019, driven by bundled attraction passes and car rental.
With high-end hotels recording higher occupancy rates than other segments, it showed that tourists were willing to spend more.
There is potential for Thailand to see faster growth of expenditure than the volume.
Mr Gnock Fah said the market is dependent on Chinese tourists, but the overall number from the mainland would not grow as fast as before the pandemic.
The government should promote high-end travel experiences as well as attracting and training skilled workers back to the industry, he added.