Thailand fears its tourism industry will surpass Vietnam's.

The number of international visitors to Vietnam in March increased by nearly 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels, while Thailand experienced slow growth, causing concern among travel businesses.

Many Thai tourism businesses fear that the country will lose its position as Southeast Asia's leading destination to Vietnam in the next few years, as the number of international visitors to Vietnam in March increased by nearly 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels, while Thailand is still struggling with slow growth.

Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, President of the Chon Buri Tourism Association, predicts that in just 2-3 years, Vietnam could surpass Thailand in the number of international tourists.

Vietnam aims to welcome 23 million foreign tourists 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 tourists, a 20% decrease compared to the same period in 2019. At the same time, Vietnam welcomed over 2 million tourists, a 40% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Da Nang - a favorite destination for Thai tourists. Photo: Dan Minh

Mr. Thanet stated that the cost of living in Vietnam is lower than in Thailand. Resorts and family-friendly amusement parks in Vietnam are newer and more affordable, and all-inclusive hotel packages are only half the price of those in Thailand. Vietnam has also benefited from collaborations with international travel companies, particularly those from Russia, to reduce airfare prices, leading 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 destinations. In contrast, tourists wishing to visit Hua Hin or Kanchanaburi have to travel more than 3 hours by car from Bangkok airport.

"We are relying on existing advantages without developing additional infrastructure or new 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 tourists this year will be difficult to achieve.

Sanga Ruangwattanakul, President of the Khao San Business Association, said that the number of visitors to Bangkok this year may decrease compared to last year due to the shrinking Chinese market, while international tourists tend to shift to emerging destinations such as Vietnam.

International tourists in Thailand. Photo: Apichart Jinakul

He said Vietnam has many attractions, from its natural beauty and islands to its vibrant nightlife. The pedestrian zone and nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City could directly compete with Khao San Road.

Last week, the Association of Travel Agents of Thailand (Atta) submitted a proposal to the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the government requesting 320 million baht (US$8.7 million) in support to attract Chinese tourists. Atta estimates that this plan could generate at least 8.3 billion baht (US$245 million) in revenue, based on an average spending of nearly 56,000 baht (US$1,700) per trip for 150,000 Chinese tourists.

Atta stated that the plan poses no risk to the government because it is a joint investment with the private sector, which will bear 80% of the costs. The government can require each flight to carry at least 150 Chinese tourists to receive a subsidy of 300,000 baht.

According to Bangkok Post

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/thai-lan-lo-du-lich-viet-nam-vuot-mat-post287297.html