For the first time, the idyllic Southern Thai island resort of Phuket is to be the venue of the annual B2B trade show, the 19th Thailand Travel Mart Plus Amazing Gateway to the Greater Mekong Subregion (TTM+) 2020. To be organised by … Continue reading
Author Archives: Roy
TTF 2020: Bill Bensely bangs the drum for sustainable, proftable travel in Thailand
Artist, architect and icon of design to a million hoteliers across the world, Bill Bensley was the big top speaker at last night’s Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) 2020, event. Hosted on the fourth floor of the InterContinental Bangkok, the event … Continue reading
Crunching the numbers on Phuket’s hotels – 2020
Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks, crunches the numbers and reports on some challenges for Thailand’s largest island and most popular tourist destination, outside of Bangkok. Robust passenger arrivals in the second half of 2019 highlighted by growth in Indian tourists helped … Continue reading
Russian tourist arrivals hit 1mn, overall arrivals reach 32.51mn
Once again Russia became the first non-Asia tourist market to record 1mn visits to Thailand. Australia, the US and European countries are yet to make it. According to the latest statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MoTS), … Continue reading
More direct flights between Vietnam and Thailand amid growth in tourism
Thailand is gearing up to welcome more Vietnamese visitors, with a number of airlines increasing direct flights between both countries and adding some new routes too. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the additional routes should help boost the number … Continue reading
More Indian tourists want to visit Phuket but limited airport slots make it impossible
For many Indian tourists, the popular resort island of Phuket has recently become more attractive than ever before. Within four to five hours, they can now fly to the ‘Pearl of the Andaman Sea’ directly from India, without a stopover … Continue reading
Taiwan’s Eva Air adds direct flights to Phuket from next April
As the tourist demographic matures and evolves, so does the airline mix landing in Phuket. Now Phuket’s direct international airlift is set to increase again with non-stop flights from Taipei, Taiwan on Eva Air. The island’s airline traffic is already … Continue reading
Thailand set to welcome 39 million tourists
With just two months to the end of the year, Thailand is now set to score more than 39 million arrivals by the end of the year, based on the current performance for January to October. The most recent Ministry … Continue reading
Thailand extends visa-on-arrival fee waiver until 30 April 2020
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is delighted to report that the Royal Thai Government has once again approved an extension of the visa-on-arrival fee waiver for citizens of 20 nations for another six months, from 1 November 2019 until … Continue reading
The world’s fastest growing tourist destinations
In 2018, international tourist arrival traffic grew by 6% to reach a total of 1.4 billion world tourists, according to research by UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. And there’s a lot more to come with international travel predicted to increase by … Continue reading
Thailand’s changing tourist demographic – the Indians
Take a walk around the markets of Pratunam in downtown Bangkok and you’ll soon discover there’s a new type of tourist in town. For years, Thailand’s tourism scene was dominated by Chinese visitors, with 10.5 million in 2018 alone, accounting … Continue reading
PHIST sees 1,000 join cry for action on climate change
Asia’s largest travel and tourism sustainability event, was held in Phuket on Monday (Sept 23), as Southeast Asia’s hospitality industry came together in a spirit of collaboration to tackle the critical environmental issues facing resort destinations across the region. A … Continue reading
Phuket tourism revenue grows 6% in H1 2019
Tourism revenue for Phuket grew 6.13% to B272 billion from January through June 2019, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has reported. The news came in a release issued yesterday (Sept 4) marking tourism-revenue growth in secondary “emerging” destinations throughout … Continue reading
Indian Visitors To Phuket Climb Into Top 5
The soaring number of Indian visitors to Phuket for the first seven months of 2019 has propelled Indian tourists into the Top 5 arrivals for the first time. Arrivals from India from January – July, compared to the same period … Continue reading
How smart tourism developments in Thailand can help attract visitors
In May this year, it was reported that the Thai authorities were closing Maya Bay on the island of Phi Phi until 2021. You may know this island as ‘The Beach’ – the famous Leonardo Di Caprio film that hit … Continue reading
Chinese still keen on Thai properties
Despite a rise of the baht against the yuan and the unpredictability of the US-China trade row, Chinese investors continue to buy Thai properties, though perhaps at a lower rate than in 2018. Carrie Law, chief executive and director of … Continue reading
Thailand Towards 2030: Future of Travel & Tourism
Thailand must invest in a central strategy to make its travel and tourism infrastructure smarter if it is going to continue to grow tourism revenue in the next decade, according to a new report released today by travel technology company … Continue reading
Attracting a new generation of Chinese wellness travellers
The Chinese State Council’s “Healthy China 2030” initiative was established as a national strategy in 2016, with a goal of “enabling everyone to be involved in health, share health, and be responsible for health.” The promotion of a healthy diet, … Continue reading
Top 5 Things Phuket Hotel Developers Should Know
by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Taking a 2020 view of Phuket’s hotel development pipeline that has now surpassed 15,000 new keys it’s hard not to be apprehensive. From a macro standpoint, the destination’s airlift and location are key success factors. … Continue reading
Phuket fights for sustainable tourism at PHIST 2019
Phuket readies to host PHIST 2019 in the fight against environmental degradation in Southeast Asia’s idyllic island destinations. PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism) 2019 is a free-to-attend one-day conference that takes place on Thursday, September 23, 2019 at … Continue reading
Phuket Pipeline Spikes Upward With 55 New Hotels On Horizon
One of Asia’s leading resort destinations Phuket looks set to weather a perfect storm as soaring hotel supply is forecasted to be challenged by declining tourism demand. New research from consulting group C9 Hotelworks in their Phuket Hotel Market Update … Continue reading
Digging Into Phuket Hotel Performance Numbers With STR
Following the release of the Phuket Hotel Market Update Mid-Year Edition by hospitality consultancy C9 Hotelworks yesterday (July 14), the consultancy’s founder and Managing Director Bill Barnett has posted his review of what the data and report means for the … Continue reading
New Phuket to Guiyang service
Thai AirAsia will add a new international service from Phuket to Guiyang, China, effective 6 July. The new flight using an A320 will serve the Phuket – Guiyang route three times weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday according to Airlineroute … Continue reading
Expedia Group reveals new insights on hotel demand trends to Thailand
Expedia Group, the world’s travel platform released its latest hotel demand trends to Thailand.[1] Thai accommodation partners are enjoying steady growth as evidenced by Expedia Group’s data, which showed the overall inbound demand to Thailand has increased by 10% Year-on-Year … Continue reading
Restaurant Spotlight – Our Signature Dishes
While staying at our Absolute Resorts & Hotels in Phuket, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to innovative dining concepts to suit all appetites. Whether it’s stellar Thai food, Italian classics or a variety of fresh and … Continue reading
5 REASONS WHY WE TRAVEL
At Absolute World, we live and breathe travel and we endeavor to deliver you the greatest vacation possible through a variety of curated local experiences as well as memorable stays at our outstanding home resorts and partner resorts worldwide. Many … Continue reading
GoAir announces new routes, cashback up to Rs 250 on flight tickets.
If you are planning to go Phuket then this GoAir offer might be a better option for you. The company is also providing cashback offer of up to Rs 250 using Paytm. New Delhi Airline companies are offering discounts on … Continue reading
Slowing tourism growth, rise of Indian market on Phuket’s horizons
C9 Hotelworks is forecasting a slowdown in the double-digit growth rates Phuket has witnessed in recent years, and India’s rising importance against China as a “mass travel machine”. While airport arrivals grew 8% year-on-year, the gains posted were at their … Continue reading
Top 5 Phuket (and Thailand) hotel trends for 2019
by Bill Barnett Moving through high season in 2019, hoteliers are starting to look for strategies for the rest of the year in order to not be reliant only on volatile mass markets. The following is C9 Hotelworks read on key trends … Continue reading
Chasing Dragons. Phuket Hotels Under Pressure to Perform
Despite registering a record high 9 million passenger arrivals at the island’s gateway international airport in 2018, performance data is indicating that a slowdown in its double-digit growth rates over the past few years is on the horizon for Thailand’s … Continue reading
Phuket Hotel Association fundraiser returns in May
The Phuket Hotels Association (PHA) will host its 2019 benefit gala (PHAB) on May 3 to raise funds for more than 10 fully-paid hospitality scholarships and traineeships for local residents. The PHAB 003 James Bond-themed “Shaken Not Stirred” event will … Continue reading
Infographic: The new engine driving Chinese outbound travel
Alipay, in collaboration with US polling company Nielsen, has discovered that Chinese tourists from second-tier cities have become the new engine driving the Chinese outbound tourism market, as part of their study dubbed, ‘Perspective merchant and consumers: from 2018 trends … Continue reading
Let’s dine together
The best part of being on holiday can often be the food. It’s always fun to sample the local cuisine of the destination you are visiting, and it’s equally as interesting to dine at a fancy restaurant or two. Staying … Continue reading
Russians race to Thailand
Thailand will be the most popular foreign destination for Russian travellers this New Year festive season, the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) has revealed. Russian’s own Sochi is the most popular domestic destination. Thailand’s beaches and Sochi’s ski resorts … Continue reading
Pulp Fiction – Phuket tourism by numbers
by Bill Barnett This week netizens have been captivated over a photo in the blogosphere proclaiming that “Phuket high-season was dead as a dodo.” Excuse me as I digress for just a minute on the subject of dodo’s, which is … Continue reading
Thailand Yacht Show and Rendezvous – January 10-13
The fourth edition of the Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous is set to take place in Phuket January 10-13 at Royal Phuket Marina. Targeting yachting enthusiasts and lifestyle-seekers from all over the region, the Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous has … Continue reading
United we stand: Making Thailand a yacht tourism destination
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) ushered a move to gather the yacht industry in one major event in Thailand and demonstrate united support for the government’s yacht tourism initiative. Andy Treadwell, CEO of Verventia Pte Ltd, owners of the … Continue reading
Phuket launches ground breaking ‘No Foam No Plastic’ initiative
Phuket’s public and private sectors recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a ground breaking ‘No Foam No Plastic’ initiative at the Phuket Sustainable Tourism Blueprint 2018 held on 9 November. The MOU was signed by key private and … Continue reading
Until the end of the year, India and 20 other countries can visit Thailand with no visa-on-arrival cost
Year-end parties for those visiting Thailand got a little more exciting with the news that tourists from 21 countries, including India, are exempt from paying fees to obtain visa on arrival for two months, December and January. To boost tourist arrivals, the … Continue reading
Rejuvenate, revitalise & reignite your life
A new Absolute Twin Sands Resort & Spa has also opened the opportunity for 180° Wellness to usher in a variety of new therapies, treatments and guest practitioners in our wonderful new wellness space to ensure 180º Wellness grows as … Continue reading