Hotel bookings during the fourth quarter this year and the first quarter of 2025 are projected to grow 9% year-on-year, with Chinese visitors remaining the top source market, according to SiteMinder, a Sydney-based distribution hospitality platform provider.
Supakrit Phansomboon, country manager for Thailand at SiteMinder, said the average daily room rate of Thai hotels increased 20% this year.
The uptick in bookings for these two quarters is attributed to the festive season and New Year's events, along with the government's promotional support.
"Chinese travellers should remain the top foreign visitors to Thailand. We expect this trend to continue in the coming years as they remain a strong base for the Thai tourism sector," said Mr Supakrit.
However, SiteMinder's Changing Traveller Report 2025 found Thailand was not ranked among the Chinese travellers' top five wish list destinations, which were Australia, France, Japan, South Korea and Canada, respectively.
The report polled more than 12,000 travellers in 14 countries, including China, Australia, India, Singapore, Thailand and the US.
The survey revealed 73% of respondents plan to travel abroad next year, with Thai travellers having a higher tendency than the average at 83%. Thai tourists continued to select Japan as their most preferred destination, followed by China, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam.
In terms of tourism behaviour, Chinese travellers would shift from large tour groups to smaller groups, which should instead be categorised as independent travellers, such as couples or families, Mr Supakrit said.
In terms of accommodation, about 38% and 35% of Chinese respondents would opt for large hotel chains and luxury hotels, respectively.
Only 19% selected a standard room, as most prioritised comfortable and convenient stays, while 88% of respondents expressed a willingness to pay more for environmental-friendly accommodation, above the average among participating nationalities of 70%.
Among Thai respondents, 54% still look for standard rooms to save money for other travel expenses, which was similar to the rates for Canadian (55%), French (52%), British (50%) and American (49%) tourists, while the overall average was 46%.
