HIGH PRICES MAKE THAILAND NO LONGER APPEALING FOR EUROPEAN TOURISTS
A holiday in a popular beach resort in Thailand now costs as much or more than one in Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Egypt, which is making it harder to attract Europeans to the country, according to a global travel website.
The report by Skift drew on interviews with a number of Europe-based tour operators, who said their customers’ other concerns included overdevelopment of Thai tourist destinations. Some also complained that the growing focus on Asian travellers in Thailand, especially Chinese, had left some Europeans feeling less welcome.
The cost of a five-star resort in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Samet has reached the equivalent of US$500 per room per night including American breakfast, Skift said, citing figures provided by Diethelm Travel Group, one of the oldest and most established tour operators in Thailand.
That is similar to the cost of a five-star beach resort in Greece, Italy and Spain, and more expensive than a comparable property in Turkey or Egypt, which costs $350 a night, according to Diethelm.
Prices for four-star Thai beach hotels also show a similar pattern, according to Diethelm: They cost around $350, as do counterparts in Greece, Italy and Spain, and are higher than the $200 seen in Turkey and Egypt and $300 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The price of a Thai holiday has increased by about 30% in US dollar terms and 40% in euro terms over the last five years due to the appreciation of the baht and inflation, Skift quoted Diethelm CEO Stephan Roemer as saying.
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