Monday, January 6, 2025 Thailand ‘s tourism sector, often considered a cornerstone of its economy, has ended 2024 with visitor arrival numbers that signal potential challenges ahead. Despite achieving a 26.27% increase from 2023, the preliminary total of 35,545,714 arrivals remains 10.
68% below the 2019 benchmark of 39.8 million, the year considered a baseline for “normalcy.” This figure is comparable to 2017’s arrivals and highlights early warning signs of stagnation in the sector, exacerbated by internal and external challenges.
Global and Regional Comparisons While Thailand’s performance shows some recovery, it lags behind global trends. According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), global visitor arrivals in 2024 reached 98% of 2019 levels by September. Thailand’s recovery, however, remains slower, impacted by key source-market declines.
Decline in Key Markets China: Arrivals from Thailand’s largest mass-market source were down 38.77% compared to 2019. Northeast Asia: Japan and South Korea also showed significant declines.
ASEAN: Singapore and Laos, traditionally strong contributors, saw reduced visitor numbers. Bright Spots in Tourism Despite the challenges, some markets reported growth: Malaysia: Continued strong performance as a key border-crossing market. Russia: Surprising resilience despite geopolitical challenges, with steady arrivals.
India: Rapidly growing market, with promising prospects as aviation connectivity improves. Structural Chall.