ATTA reports gains

Association of Thai Travel Agents’ member companies handled 2,196,521 international tourists at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the first eight months of 2012 representing an improvement of 8.15% from 2,030,952 visits during the same period last year. ATTA released its data, earlier this week, based on fees member agencies pay to the airport to provide a meet-and-greet service for international clients. It is considered an accurate barometer for the tourism industry, but is limited to travel through Bangkok. For January to August this year, China continued to be Thailand’s strongest supplier with 633,179 trips increasing 43.61% from 440,905 trips during the same period in 2011. Reflecting a slight decrease of 1.86%, Russia followed in second place with 284,929 trips. India ranked third and supplied 172,443 trips improving just 2.19% from 168,739 trips. Neighbouring Vietnam followed in fourth place with 134,512 trips growing 43.04% against 94,083 trips during the same period last year. Japan in fifth place supplied 126,518 trips, up 8.60% from 116,556 trips. The next top five suppliers in the first eight months were: South Korea (115,964; -25.46%); Hong Kong (69,103; -1.21%); Taiwan (67,334; -41.43%); Indonesia (56,685; +14.26%); and the United Kingdom (48,432; +8.67%). In August, ATTA reported there were 304,929 trips increasing 16.59% when compared to 261,531 trips during the same month last year. China led the field with 99,804 trips improving 54.86% from 64,447 trips during the same month in 2011. Vietnam followed in second place with an improvement of 22.67% to 22,469 trips compared to 18,316 trips. Japan in third supplied 22,460 trips, up 32.24% from 16,984 trips, while Russia followed in fourth place with 22,225 trips increasing 8.34% from 20,514 trips. India ranked fifth with 20,504 trips growing 9.73% against 18,686 during the same month in 2011. The next top five markets in August were: South Korea (16,201; -29.25%); Hong Kong (15,510; +14.76%); Taiwan (10,397; -26.13%); Indonesia (9,891; +46.38%); and UK (5,690; -2.55%). From ttrweekly