Many Thai tourism businesses are concerned that the country will lose its position as Southeast Asia's top destination to Vietnam in the next few years, as the number of international visitors to Vietnam in March increased by nearly 50% compared to before the pandemic, while Thailand is still struggling with slow growth.
Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, Chairman of the Chon Buri Tourism Association, said that in just 2-3 years, Vietnam could surpass Thailand in the number of international visitors.
Vietnam aims to welcome 23 million foreign visitors in 2025, while the Thai Ministry of Finance has lowered its forecast from 38.5 million to 36.5 million. In March, Thailand recorded 2.7 million visitors, down 20% compared to the same period in 2019. In the same period, Vietnam welcomed more than 2 million visitors, up 40% compared to the pre-pandemic period.
Mr Thanet said the cost of living in Vietnam is lower than in Thailand. Family-friendly resorts and theme parks in Vietnam are newer and cheaper, and hotel packages are half the price of those in Thailand. Vietnam is also partnering with international travel companies, especially from Russia, to reduce airfares, prompting many companies to shift tours from Phuket to Nha Trang this summer.
According to the Chairman of the Tourism Association, many airports in major cities in Vietnam are designed to international standards, facilitating the opening of new flight routes. These airports are also only 30-45 minutes away from tourist areas. In contrast, tourists who want to go to Hua Hin or Kanchanaburi must spend more than 3 hours driving from Bangkok airport.
"We are living off old advantages without developing new infrastructure or tourism products to attract visitors," he said.
Mr Thanet warned that if the government does not have a more proactive tourism strategy and strengthen safety measures, the target of welcoming 36.5 million visitors this year will be difficult to achieve.
Sanga Ruangwattanakul, chairman of the Khao San Business Association, said the number of visitors to Bangkok this year may decrease compared to last year due to a shrinking Chinese market, while international tourists tend to switch to emerging destinations such as Vietnam.
He said Vietnam has many attractions, from nature, islands to vibrant nightlife. The walking street and night entertainment in Ho Chi Minh City can compete directly with Khao San Road.
Last week, the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) submitted a proposal to the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the government for 320 million baht ($8.7 million) in subsidies to attract Chinese tourists. Atta estimated that the plan could generate at least 8.3 billion baht ($245 million) in revenue, based on an average spending of nearly 56,000 baht ($1,700) per trip by 150,000 Chinese tourists.
Atta said the scheme was risk-free for the government as it was a joint investment with the private sector, which would cover 80% of the costs. The government could require each flight to carry at least 150 Chinese tourists to receive the 300,000 baht subsidy.
According to Bangkok Post
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/thai-lan-lo-du-lich-viet-nam-vuot-mat-post287297.html
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