United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
PATA sees shift to lesser known Asia beach destinations
Pacific Asia Travel Association says it has identified a growing trend in the UK market of travellers opting for secondary beach destinations across Asia Pacific.
This shift has been recognised by several PATA UK & Ireland tour operator members, citing reasons such as increased prices in popular destinations and availability issues.
For example, Best at Travel has seen a surge in bookings for Khao Lak compared to popular destinations like Phuket and Koh Samui in Thailand.
Sam Collins, Product Manager at Best at Travel and PATA tour operator member said: “From March to May 2024, Khao Lak has emerged as the top-selling beach destination.”
“Similarly, Lombok in Indonesia has also seen an increase in interest among UK travellers”.
CHIC Locations has also seen this trend, noting that exclusive and lesser-known destinations like Khao Lak, Krabi, Koh Lanta, and Koh Samed in Thailand are now preferred over traditional tourist hubs like Phuket and Samui.
This trend is also mirrored in Malaysia, where the island of Langkawi is outselling Penang and in Bali, where retreat locations are attracting more visitors than developed areas.
David Kevan of CHIC Locations says ‘mainstream destinations are losing their appeal as travellers seek more exclusive and glamorous experiences.’
Tourism boards are helping drive this trend, proactively promoting secondary destinations.
Director of TAT London, Sadudee Sangnil, said: “We have been implementing marketing and trade training strategies to promote secondary destinations for several years now.’
“TAT’s ‘Hub & Hook’ strategy continues to be a key part of trade activity through training and fam trips.”
Related News Stories: Partner News – TravelMole
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Lebua Hotel & Resorts: Rajan Khurana on Hospitality and Bangkok’s Charms
Sustainable Tourism and Growth: Insights from Chiravadee Khunsub from Tourism Authority of Thailand
Revolutionizing Travel: SmartSIM USA’s Dale Takio Unveils the Power of E Sims
TravelMole Interview with Hishan Singhawansa, Deputy CEO of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka
Unveiling the Essence of Magari Tours: A Dive into Authentic Italian Experiences
Florida’s Tourism Boom: Dana Young Analyzes Surge in UK Visitors
Elliott Ferguson’s Vision: Elevating Washington DC’s Global Appeal
Empowering Travel Agents and Tour Operators: A Conversation with Go Nexus Group President
Expedia TAAP incorporates AI for their 100,000 registered agents
Travefy CEO & Founder Talks About Their Itinerary Management For Travel Professionals
MMGY’s Jonathan Sloan: A Tale of Triumph Amidst Adversity
Unlocking Opportunities: Viator Empowers Travel Agents with Innovative Tools and Expansive Offerings
BA flight attendant taken off duty after boozy altercation
Passenger attempts suicide on Bangkok-London flight
Virgin Voyages cracks down on agents’ shady sales tactics
Ship crew member arrested after stabbing attack
Report: Viking Sky outage could have been ‘one of the worst disasters at sea’