Category: Tourism Insight

Thai Outbound Travel Surges 45% YoY in H1 2025, Preference for Short-Haul Asian Destinations  

According to a joint announcement by Thai Airways International (THAI) and Mastercard, Thai outbound travel increased 45% year-on-year in the first half of 2025. Travel demand rebounded strongly despite economic slowdown, with one in four travelers taking multiple trips during the period.

Approximately 75% of travelers chose Asian destinations, with top routes including Tokyo (20.3%), Hong Kong (9.4%), Osaka (9.3%), Singapore (8.3%), and Seoul (5.3%), making Japan the most preferred destination for Thai travelers. Shanghai has emerged as an alternative destination with over 80% growth due to visa-free policies and affordable costs, offering travel expenses approximately one-third of Japan’s level.

Thai Tourist Arrivals to Japan Show Steady Growth

According to JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) data, over 730,000 Thai tourists visited Japan from January to July 2025, representing an 8.5% year-on-year increase, positioning Thailand as Japan’s sixth-largest inbound market. In July alone, 48,600 Thai visitors arrived, ranking Thailand ninth among the top ten source markets for Japan.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Implements Special Marketing Initiatives to Attract Foreign Tourists

TAT is accelerating Thailand’s tourism recovery and expanding year-end tourist demand through global marketing campaigns targeting high-spending markets (China, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Middle East, etc.) in partnership with Central Group. The initiative aims to attract over 1.5 million tourists and generate 5.2 billion baht in revenue by offering special year-end consumer benefits across Central Group’s private and retail sectors.

Meanwhile, TAT is launching its second consecutive ‘Nihao Month’ campaign for China’s National Day Golden Week (September 26 – October 8), targeting high-spending Chinese tourists from September to December with various promotional benefits including charter flight support from second and third-tier Chinese cities and group incentive tour packages.

TAT anticipates at least 200,000 Chinese tourists during the Golden Week period, projecting tourism revenue of approximately 10 billion baht.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Promotes ESG Tourism

TAT is actively promoting an ESG tourism model through its ‘Village to the World #SustainableAgenda’ project. Moving beyond simple CSR, this structure links community development objectives with corporate sustainability goals, achieving notable results within just two months: attracting over 30,000 tourists to five pilot villages and increasing local income by an average of over 20%.

Through this program, TAT aims to establish Thailand as a ‘sustainable tourism destination’ and plans to implement ESG tourism investment incentive policies, expand corporate-community partnerships, and build a national sustainability ecosystem.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Fosters Travel Tech Startups

TAT held the ‘TAT Travel Tech Startup Networking: Together for Future Travel’ event on September 1, 2025, establishing a networking platform between the tourism industry and travel tech startups to discuss strategies for industry revitalization through innovation. This initiative is expected to build a smart tourism ecosystem and enhance Thailand’s international competitiveness in the tourism sector.

*Source: Korea Tourism Organization Data Lab – Thailand Tourism Trend Report, September 2025

Tourism Sector Expected to Account for 10.9% of Malaysia’s GDP in 2025 

According to recent data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the tourism sector is expected to contribute 10.9% to Malaysia’s GDP in 2025, amounting to 218.9 billion ringgit. The tourism sector’s GDP contribution ratio is expected to increase to 11.3% by 2035. Additionally, tourism jobs are expected to account for 15.7% (2.7 million people) of Malaysia’s total employment in 2025, rising to 18% (3.5 million people) by 2035. 

Tourism Malaysia has partnered with global technology brand Honor to promote the country’s cultural and natural beauty ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026. The collaboration will feature mobile photography competitions, workshops, exhibitions and cultural events.

Malaysia launched a major campaign to attract more Thai travelers ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), promoting the country as top destination for sustainable and inclusive travel experiences. Malaysia sees 20% surge in tourist arrivals in Jan-May 2025, boosted by China, India.

Malaysia Selected as No.1 Muslim-Friendly Destination

According to GMTI* 2025, Malaysia retained its long-standing position as the number one Muslim-friendly destination within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). With its robust Halal infrastructure, diverse culture, and seamless integration of Islamic values into public life, Malaysia remains a global leader in Muslim travel readiness. 

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were jointly selected for 2nd place. Among non-OIC countries, Singapore was selected as No. 1, with its well-established halal food network and active efforts to meet Muslims’ needs being the main reasons for top selection. Following Singapore, the UK, Hong Kong and others were selected.

*Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI): An annual report that benchmarks destinations in the Muslim travel market. Developed through collaboration between Mastercard and Crescent Rating, this report analyzes over 100 destinations worldwide to assess their readiness for halal and Muslim-friendly travelers and ranks countries accordingly.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals to Malaysia Increased by Over 20% Through May This Year

Malaysia recorded an over 20% jump in tourist arrivals for the January to May 2025 period, driven by government strategies such as the Visa Liberalization Plan, targeted industry incentives, and digital and airline-based promotional campaigns. International tourist arrivals during the five months reached 16.94 million, according to the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister (MOTAC). 

Singapore remained the top contributor to Malaysia’s international tourist arrivals, with 8.34 million visitors up 26.5% year-on-year (y-o-y). This was followed by Indonesia’s 1.82 million visitors, up 10.3% y-o-y; China’s 1.81 million visitors, up 38.8% y-o-y — marking the highest growth rate among key markets; Thailand’s 1.06 million visitors (increased 5.2%); and India’s 664,811 visitors (increased 32.0%). Among these, the increase in tourists from China and India was particularly significant.

Source: Korea Tourism Organization Data Lab, “(Malaysia) July Tourism Market Trends” and “(Malaysia) August Tourism Market Trends” published by Kuala Lumpur Office of Korea Tourism Organization