Marriott will open eight properties in Thailand this year


American multinational hospitality brand Marriott International announced that it will open 8 new properties in Thailand this year, adding to its stable of 48 existing properties, with a top executive telling the media that he feels positive about the Kingdom.
 
“We have great confidence in Thailand,” said Jakob Helgen, Marriott International‘s Area Vice-President of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.
 
That confidence is reflected in Marriott’s five-year plan for the Kingdom, in which it plans to open an additional 30 hotels across the country. Trends indicate that it is a good time to invest in Thailand and capitalize on its budding tourism resurgence.
 
With the lifting of public health measures during the pandemic earlier, tourism is rebounding robustly in Thailand. The government reported last week that the Kingdom welcomed 11.5 million visitors in 2022 and is aiming for 25 million visitors this year. Barring any unforeseen global disruptions, analysts expect that it will not be long before Thailand exceeds its pre-pandemic number of arrivals of over 40 million per year.
 
Helgen said that Marriott expected to see tourist numbers steadily improve this year, driven by pent-up demand from Chinese citizens who have only recently been allowed to resume traveling abroad. He added that the extension of tourist visas to stay in Thailand from 30 days to 45 days until the end of the year will also support the tourism recovery.
 
Marriott operates 48 properties in Thailand, including more than 13,000 rooms under 14 brands. Courtyard by Marriott North Pattaya, the third property under the Courtyard brand in the country, opened last year.
 
Photo courtesy of https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/hktkl-jw-marriott-khao-lak-resort-and-spa/overview/