August 24, 2023
BANGKOK – Promoting Thailand as a wedding venue for Hong Kong residents should allow the TAT to reach its goal of welcoming 1 million Hong Kong tourists to the kingdom next year, Pornmon said.
Thailand is the second most popular wedding destination for Hong Kong tourists after Japan, she said, explaining that the country’s beaches were a major draw.
Thailand also has facilities and wedding organisation businesses that can allow Hong Kong couples to conveniently and quickly hold their wedding ceremonies and receptions, compared to a long waiting list at home.
The TAT’s Hong Kong office has found that about 50,000 Hong Kong couples are wed each year and 10% of them, especially younger couples, favour holding wedding ceremonies abroad.
“In Hong Kong, couples have to plan their weddings over a year and the expenses are high. So well-to-do lovers like to travel abroad to wed,” Pornmon explained.
She said 454,008 tourists from Hong Kong visited Thailand from January to July this year.
The TAT aims for 700,000 Hong Kong tourists to visit the kingdom this year.
On averagely, a Hong Kong tourist spends about 10,000 baht a day or about 30,000 baht per trip in Thailand, compared to 7,000 per day and 21,000 baht per trip in 2019.
Apart from increasing the number of Hong Kong tourists to 1 million next year, the TAT also hopes they will spend about 10% more during their trips, Pornmon added.
She said one of Thailand’s advantages is that it is only a three-hour flight to Thailand.
The top four destinations in Thailand for Hong Kong tourists are Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai.
Pornmon’s predecessor, Naparat Wutthiwat – who has been promoted to director of the TAT’s risk-management division – said Hong Kong tourists like to shop for air tickets with promotions as the prices have been expensive after the pandemic.
She said she hopes her successor will seek cooperation with airlines to launch more promotional flights for Hong Kong tourists.