BANGKOK, 20 August 2020: New data from SiteMinder reveals a fast-growing shift toward last-minute travel among domestic holidaymakers in light of the uncertainty created by Covid-19.
SiteMinder’s World Hotel Index, the leading indicator of hotel reservation and guest arrival trends around the world, shows that of all bookings made at Thai hotels in the last two weeks, just under 37% are for stays during August and over 37% are for September.
Less than 20% of all bookings made at Thai hotels to date are for stays next year.
The findings mirror those found in SiteMinder’s recent Changing Traveller Report, which surveyed nearly 600 residents and found that 59% would make their accommodation reservation less than a month before commencing their trip. The survey, conducted in July, also found that close to two-in-three Thais were already planning their next local trip and 74% intended to travel within the country before the end of the year.
“The rapid pace of change this year has presented hoteliers with the challenges of short-term planning and spontaneous or otherwise last-minute buying behaviour among their guests,” says SiteMinder’s regional vice president of Asia Pacific, Bradley Haines.
“The ongoing crisis has instilled in many people a newfound appreciation for what their country has to offer, and that is clear here in Thailand.”
Local residents now constitute just over 95% of the country’s hotel guests, according to the World Hotel Index, which is a stark contrast to the 29% seen in August last year. Thailand’s borders remain firmly closed to international leisure travellers.
Thailand’s hotel bookings currently sit at 40.6% of 2019 volumes to represent a growth of 587% since dropping to 5.91% t YoY—their lowest level in recent history— on 12 April.
About SiteMinder
SiteMinder is a guest acquisition platform serving more than 35,000 hotels, across 160 countries, to generate in excess of 100 million reservations.
