Thailand’s hospitality industry recently hit a 20-year high.
According to STR Global, which revealed its research at the Thailand Tourism Forum 2016, the industry closed out 2015 with an overall occupancy rate of 73.4 percent. This represented a growth of 13.6 percent over 2014’s figure, and was the highest the country had seen since 1995. Travel Daily News reported that Thailand’s tourism sector is largely fueled by travelers from China’s mainland who view the Southeast Asian nation as a go-to vacation spot.
To continue expanding its hospitality sector, Thailand plans to get more involved in the cruise industry, explained The Manila Times. The nation plans to follow the example set by Mediterranean cruises and partner with other nearby countries, like the Philippines, to offer visitors streamlined and luxurious vacation options to their tropical corridor. The Southeast Asian countries expect that the added cruises will be extremely beneficial for their economies, especially due to the region’s year-round warm climate – tourists can take advantage of the maritime adventures in every season.
“A visit to Thailand is a jump-off point to the rest of Southeast Asia,” Ramon Jimenez Jr., secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Tourism, explained to the news source.