Tourist numbers down in 2014
The number of tourists visiting Thailand fell by 6.6 per cent in 2014 from the previous year because of the kingdom's political tensions and a drop in the value of the Russian rouble, officials said Thursday.
Some 24.7 million tourists visited Thailand in 2014 compared to 26.7million in 2013, official figures showed. The drop in tourist numbers also resulted in 5.8 per cent less revenue, according to Minister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavarangkul.
Kobkarn attributed the drop in tourists to the political crisis which plagued the country in the first half of 2014 and international economic factors. The fall of the Russian rouble has contributed to a 21-per-centdecline in Russian tourists in November alone, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Russians are the second-largest tourist group to visit Thailand after the Chinese. The resort island of Phuket has been hit by declining numbers of Russian tourists. According to Anoma Wongyai, the director of the Tourist Authority in Phuket, Russian tourist numbers have dropped almost 40 per cent.
"We have had to meet with concerned business owners who have all reported significant drops," she said.
TAT on Wednesday reported that 3.5 million locals and foreign tourists spent Bt22 billion during the 5-day New Year holiday period.
Bangkok was the most popular destination during the period with a number of 427,889 visitors, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Yet, according to its survey, hotels in Chiang Mai was the busiest, with the highest occupancy rate of 95 per cent against 90 per cent in Bangkok.
Visitors spent Bt5.4 billion during the 5-day holiday period in Bangkok.
Visitors spent Bt5.4 billion during the 5-day holiday period in Bangkok.
