And the winner is… Thailand and Phuket
The coming summer may not turn out to be too bad for the local travel industry. New long-haul flights are filling up quickly from Europe and more Brits plan to visit Thailand than last summer.
Much of Europe may be in recession and millions are out of work. But close to zero interest rates in the EU-zone means that millions of people with jobs have a higher disposable income. Many are planning their next trip to Thailand and Phuket.
Air Asia will start direct flights between Hong Kong to Phuket within the next two months, according to CEO Tony Fernandes. The date has not been set, but Air Asia plan to cater for the increasing number residents of Hong Kong who has bought a home in Phuket in recent years.
Thai Airways will launch a direct route between Oslo and Bangkok in mid June, adding 50,000 seats between Scandinavia and Thailand annually. More than 70,000 Norwegians have bought a holiday home abroad since 1995 and more than 70,000 families are currently considering buying a home abroad.
Most have settled down in Spain, Italy and France, but destinations such as Turkey, Thailand and Malaysia are expected to show high growth rates.
Thailand is still a favorite destination for European tourists planning a holiday this summer.
An indication of possible winners and losers has been compiled by the cheap flight site Skyscanner. Its figures shows that anti-eurozone sentiment is strong among British holidaymakers who it seems are increasingly looking to non-euro destinations for their summer breaks this year.
“Skyscanner’s data shows that value for money is the biggest factor influencing this summer’s travel trends. The strength of the euro seems to have scared off many travellers, despite the fact that non-euro countries are not necessarily cheaper than those within the eurozone, and that good value holiday spots exist within the eurozone”, says co-founder Barry Smith.
Bangkok has seen by far the biggest rise in the number of searches with 271 percent growth year on year. Most continue to Phuket from Bangkok.
| Ranking | Destination | Change |
| 1 | Bangkok, Thailand | +271 percent |
| 2 | Los Angeles, USA | +170 percent |
| 3 | Porto, Portugal | + 163 percent |
| 4 | Dalaman, Turkey | +160 percent |
| 5 | Orlando, USA | +158 percent |
| 6 | Istanbul, Turkey | +157 percent |
| 7 | Sharm El Sheik, Egypt | +156 percent |
| 8 | Bodrum, Turkey | +153 percent |
| 9 | Burgas, Bulgaria | +152 percent |
| 10 | Oslo, Norway | +143 percent |
Source: Flights from UK airports for summer 09 (May 1st-Aug 30th) compared to summer 08 according to Skyscanner searches