Britons ‘still booking flights to Thailand’

Consumers from the UK are continuing to book flights to Thailand in large numbers, new figures have revealed.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), over 589,000 Britons visited the Asian nation last year.

The number of tourist arrivals from the UK during the first nine months of 2012 was 0.54 per cent higher than the figure recorded a year earlier.

As a result, TAT is hoping that the overall number of British visitors this year will exceed 2011’s total and come to 810,000.

“During January to September 2012, the UK was the second largest market from Europe,” the organisation commented.

While the average length of a stay in Thailand by foreign nationals is nine days, people from the UK appear to be keen to spend longer in the country.

Indeed, figures showed that a visit by a typical British tourist lasts for about 17.35 days.

TAT added that Britain is now regarded as a mature tourism market, which is why it is now marketing towards specific groups such as students, couples on honeymoon and families.

Written by Nicholas Scott