Swedes abandon Thailand as tourist destination
Anders Holm Nielsen
May 30, 2013
The Swedes have given up on Thailand, it seems. The number of trips to what used to be a popular destination has decreased by 25 percent and has slipped from the top-ten list and now comes in at twelfth place.
The past 20 years, Thailand has been a success story when it comes to tourism. In 1992 the Swedes made over 100,000 trips there, and 10 years later in 2002, the number had doubled. 2010 peaked for Sweden-Thailand traveling with 443,000 trips, but in 2011, the number of trips had gone from 430,000 to 323,000 trips.
According to vagabond.se, one reason is probably saturation. Many Swedes have traveled to Thailand for several years and has now become curious about other places, such as the Caribbean and the United States, which travel companies are investing heavily in. Another reason is that Thailand is starting to feel exploited and “normal”, the same fate that befell Mallorca in the 1990’s.
New York has become a popular destination for Swedes, followed by Florida. Interest in the U.S. has increased for several years and has recently been further increased because of the new routes, cheaper fares and perhaps above all a strong crown and thus a cheap dollar, which has made the U.S. into a shopping paradise for the Swedes.
scandasia.com