The Tourism Authority of Thailand, well known for its glowing predictions, says that international travellers coming for the new Hua Hin Wellness Sandbox will spend on average twice as much as other tourists coming to the country. They believe that visitors to the first Wellness Sandbox of Hua Hin and Cha-Am will attract higher-spending tourists that will spend an average of 109,400 baht per person per trip.
Data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports shows that before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, tourists to Thailand spent an average of 48,580 baht per person, per trip. Locations in Thailand, like the north of Koh Phangan, show that travellers are willing to pay substantially inflated prices for accommodations and services that fall under the wellness category.
But they've got to come first.
Earlier this month it was announced that Hua Hin and Cha-Am would be a new location to fill this lucrative niche market, piloting a Sandbox program catering to wellness with an aim of converting the 2 coastal cities into a world-class medical tourism destination.
A government spokesperson explained that work is underway to upgrade the current facilities in the area so that health services and medical facilities in Cha-Am and Hua Hin meet all international standards.
The government is pushing the Wellness Sandbox programme as part of a variety of plans the Thai government has been working on to try to jumpstart the tourism industry coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic and thus boost the entire Thai economy. The boost to Cha-Am and Hua Hin ties into the Thailand Riviera project that encompasses the entire western strip of the country, including Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Chumphon, and Ranong.
The Thailand Riviera Master Plan shows that the four provinces have diverse tourism assets…
- 25 national parks and water parks;
- 528 Kms of coastline;
- 37 beaches, 10 bays, and 25 islands;
- 70 Royal Projects and Royal Initiatives;
- 6 community-based tourism projects.
SOURCE: Hua Hin Today