Bangkok (VNA) – More Indian tourists, especially those of Gen Y and Gen Z, are visiting Thailand. They like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phuket, and Koh Samui but have started to look at less-known destinations, according to Thai government spokesman Chai Wacharonke.
The official quoted the homestay platform Airbnb as reporting that the number of Indian travellers reserving accommodations in Thailand through it rose by about 60% during 2022 - 2023.
He revealed that the number of Indian tourists looking for accommodations in Thailand through Airbnb during long holidays such as the Holi and Easter festivals soared by 200% and their top five destinations were Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi, and Koh Samui.
He said Gen Y and Gen Z people formed 80% of the Indian travellers booking accommodations in Thailand through Airbnb. India has the biggest number of Gen Y (aged 28-43) and Gen Z people (aged 12-27) in the world.
The most desired features of accommodation reserved via Airbnb were swimming pools, beaches, national parks, and famous cities.
Small groups of three to five visitors and medium-sized groups of five people and more showed the fastest growth among the Indian visitors to Thailand, up by 67% and 68% respectively from last year.
The spokesman quoted Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb general manager for Hong Kong, Taiwan (China), India, and Southeast Asia, as saying that Indian travellers had started to shift to less known destinations. This helped distribute economic growth to communities.
The Thai government extended its visa-free scheme for Indian visitors for six months from May 11 to Nov 11./.
