Tourism permanent secretary warns oil spike may hit Gen Z travel to Thailand
Foreign arrivals remain steady, but prolonged Middle East tensions could lift airfares and weigh on price-sensitive younger travellers, the ministry says.
- Thailand's Tourism Permanent Secretary warns that a sustained spike in oil prices, driven by Middle East tensions, may negatively impact travel decisions.
- The warning specifically highlights that price-sensitive Gen Z travelers are the demographic most likely to be deterred by the resulting increase in airfares.
- Despite the concern, the ministry reports that overall tourist arrivals have remained stable for now, with no sharp slowdown observed yet.
- To counteract potential slowdowns, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is increasing promotional activities in other markets, such as Eastern Europe and China.
Natreeya Taweewong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, revealed cumulative tourist figures for early March, indicating that travel to Thailand has remained steady despite external challenges stemming from tensions in the Middle East.
She confirmed that tourist arrivals “have remained stable and there has been no sharp slowdown”, particularly among travellers not affected by the situation in the Middle East, who have continued to visit Thailand.
Natreeya said that from January 1 to March 11, 2026, cumulative foreign tourist arrivals reached 7,489,983, down 4.40% from the same period in 2025 due to the situation in the Middle East.
In the early part of the year, Thailand welcomed more than 100,000 tourists per day.
It generated more than 368.172 billion baht in tourism revenue, underscoring the country's continued status as a major destination for travellers worldwide.
On daily tourist figures during the period of tensions in the Middle East, the permanent secretary said they “have remained stable and there has been no sharp slowdown”.
Foreign tourist arrivals from Europe and the Middle East totalled 304,714, down 16% from pre-pandemic levels.
Of these, arrivals from Europe were down 14%, primarily among travellers on routes that pass through the Middle East.
Arrivals from the Middle East fell 55% to 7,490, with most (77%) of arrivals being Israeli tourists.
This was also because Muslim-majority markets in the Middle East are currently in Ramadan, when travel is typically more limited.
However, the issue that needs close monitoring is oil prices, which affect airfares.
If the situation persists for another two to three months, it may affect the travel decisions of price-sensitive Gen Z travellers.
In proactive operations, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has stepped up efforts to maintain momentum through various tourism promotion activities, such as the Amazing Thailand Post-ITB Roadshow 2026 in Eastern Europe, starting in Poznan, Poland, targeting a high-quality emerging market with an average length of stay of 14 days.
It is also preparing to launch direct Warsaw-Bangkok flights with LOT Polish Airlines in October, adding more than 88,000 seats to offset slower markets.
In addition to its push in Europe, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has continued its tourism promotion efforts in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, to stimulate the short-haul market and maintain the strength of the Chinese market, which remains a key tourism market, by introducing new campaigns tailored to the behaviour of younger travellers and family groups.
Most recently, the Office of the Permanent Secretary is also preparing to launch a tourism promotion project centred on the Mekong riverside way of life across seven provinces, Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, and Ubon Ratchathani, highlighting local cultural identity as a new selling point to create experiences for tourists and distribute income sustainably to communities.
The cumulative total of more than 7.4 million tourists is evidence of the confidence travellers continue to have in Thailand, despite the challenges posed by oil prices and geopolitics.
However, the ministry has adjusted its approach to promote domestic travel through the “Travel Thailand, Help Thailand” project, which will help keep the country’s revenue target on track.
