Amidst the rapidly evolving global tourism landscape, accurate and timely insights have become crucial tools for operators in decision-making and strategic planning. Amadeus, a global leader in travel technology, has revealed a significant set of insights, painting a picture of current trends, opportunities, and challenges facing the tourism sector, particularly for Bangkok and Thailand.
Ms. Katie Morrow, Amadeus’s Vice President of Data Partnerships, provided details on the “Travel Intelligence” unit. Previously “Business Intelligence,” its renaming underscores a refined, specialized expertise. With nearly eighteen years at Amadeus focused on partnerships, Ms. Morrow has been central to expanding Travel Intelligence’s footprint. She stated that the rebranding reflects a broader scope beyond its original hotel data focus, now encompassing airline data and serving airports, destinations, and airlines, alongside the hotel sector.
The primary goal of Travel Intelligence is to support partners in understanding the “Traveler Journey“—from inspiration, purchasing, and traveling, to the on-property experience—to help elevate the guest experience.
Air Travel Overview to Bangkok: Positive Signs and Challenges
For air travel to Bangkok, Amadeus data shows impressive growth of 13% year-on-year. “Passenger traffic to Bangkok has grown significantly YoY, supported by an increase in scheduled seat capacity. Travel volumes for 2025 consistently outperform 2024 and 2023 across nearly all months,” Morrow noted, despite an anticipated slight slowdown in June.
A key development is the surge from the Chinese tourist market. “China moved from the 10th to 5th position as a source of actual travelers, with a 97% YoY increase. It is now the #1 market searching Bangkok.” Long-haul markets like the US, UK, and Japan also show increased interest.
Deep Dive into Tourist Behavior: Data for Superior Marketing Strategies
Booking behavior reveals that “over 50% of passengers book their trips to Bangkok 61+ days in advance.” Morrow sees this as an opportunity for hotels for pricing, promotions, and pre-arrival upselling. “A majority of bookings still happen with 31-180 days lead time, giving hotels ample opportunity to engage in pre-arrival upselling and direct guest communication strategies.”
Demographically, leisure travelers dominate, particularly the 36-45 and 46-65 age groups, indicating a mature, affluent profile. “For example, if we see that South Korean travelers are showing high growth in business class bookings, luxury hotels can use this information to target this group,” Morrow explained.
Bangkok’s Hotel Market Situation: Occupancy and Room Rates
Delving into Bangkok’s hotel market, on-the-books “Hotel Occupancy” data shows the current year started higher than the previous year but dipped below prior-year levels from March/April. An interesting point is that “while air traffic to Bangkok is up by 13%, hotel occupancy rates have dropped below last year’s levels from May onward.” Morrow suggested, “This situation might suggest that supply might be outpacing demand or travelers are staying elsewhere.”
Conversely, “Average Daily Rate (ADR) in Bangkok” remains strong, generally higher than the previous year. “ADR remains consistently above last year across most months—even when occupancy is falling. This indicates potential rate resilience, but could also explain the dip in demand if pricing isn’t perceived as competitive,” Morrow analyzed. This is the balance hotels must strive to understand and manage.
Hotel Strategy: Booking Channels and Target Customer Segments
Regarding the “Hotel Channel Mix in Bangkok,” there are notable changes. “The share of direct bookings declined from 43% in 2024 to 41% in 2025, with OTA share holding steady.” Morrow pointed out, “Brand.com, or the hotel’s direct website, has grown year-on-year, which is good for building customer loyalty… The decline in direct bookings signals an opportunity for hotels to reinvest in loyalty programs, SEO, and retargeting to recapture direct share.”
“Hotel Segmentation in Bangkok,” categorizing customers (Discount, Group, Corporate, etc.), helps hotels understand their customer mix and tailor strategies effectively.
Data-Driven Insights: Key Observations for Operators
Amadeus summarized critical insights:
- Travel Demand Up, Occupancy Down: Air traffic is up, but hotel occupancy is down, suggesting supply may exceed demand or travelers are choosing alternative accommodations.
- Strong Lead Times Present Upselling Opportunity: With most bookings made 31-180 days in advance, hotels have a window for upselling.
- China Emerges as a Power Market: A 97% YoY surge in bookings from China places it among the top 5 source markets.
- Rate Holds Strong Despite Weak Pace: ADRs are resilient, but this could affect demand if prices aren’t seen as competitive.
- Slight Dip in Direct Bookings: A decline from 43% to 41% highlights the need to boost direct channels.
Looking Ahead: Thailand’s Tourism Future through Amadeus-UNWTO Joint Research
The presentation also previewed “Five key takeaways for Thailand” from joint research between Amadeus and UNWTO (now UN Tourism), focusing on “Travel Insights 2025” for the Asia & the Pacific region, indicating a commitment to broader strategic data.
Conclusion: Data is the Heart of Driving Growth
In summary, Amadeus Travel Intelligence provides powerful tools for Thailand’s and Bangkok’s tourism industry to navigate complex market trends, enabling data-driven decisions and strategies to foster sustainable growth in the digital era.
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