In fact more than half the respondents from both Europe and North America named Thailand as their number 1 destination of choice in South East Asia.
57.4% of the global respondents who are intending to travel to SEA say they would be likely to visit Thailand above any other country in the region.
Furthermore the research showed that travellers to South East Asia are often experienced world travellers, looking for new and different experiences and they will plan to stay for at 1-2 weeks, preferring self-planned trips to package deals.
“Travel has been in a state of flux since the pandemic and we are seeing a wonderful comeback throughout South East Asia currently for travellers and the travel industry as a whole,” said John Williams, Vice President Advertising Sales, BBC News.
“It is fantastic to see that travellers from across the world are planning on coming to South East Asia and it is really important to understand why their travel decisions are being made. Great news for Thailand to come out on top!”
The research also showed that nearly 4 in 5 Europeans who plan to visit SEA said they plan to embark on the trip within the next 6 months.
Meanwhile statistics show that travellers’ priorities lie in cultural and sustainable travel, with 91% of travellers looking for unique culture and heritage in their chosen destination and 72% of travellers conscious of minimising their impact on the local environment.