Tour operators in Thailand are tapping into tertiary territories to ignite fresh appeal in the country amid a noticeable shift in visitors’ travel demand and desire to steer well off the beaten track.
Edwin Briels, managing director of Exploration Travel Thailand, said he launched the company three years ago with the “aim of doing things differently” in response to the need for the nation’s industry to endure a “shake-up”.
“Now, we have agents and clients who are more educated about Thailand and are looking for real experiences, not the staged Thailand,” Briels said, adding that it is important for tour operators to seek out tertiary destinations.
“We’re looking at more unexplored areas and how we can tell the story of that area to create unique itineraries. This paints a much nicer image of Thailand, as a lot of people now think of overtourism in some areas, like Phuket,” he stated.
Itineraries include less explored destinations such as Kaeng Krachan, Isaan, Chanthaburi, Sukhothai and Chiang Khong, which Briels said have piqued the interest of international tour operators that have grown tired of Thailand.
Briels added that this also taps into the community development element of tourism, with the company working with locals to curate tours and experiences, as well as training them to be skilled guides and hosts.
He noted: “Two tour operators from Europe and one from the US said they stopped selling Thailand for 10 years because everyone is doing the same thing, but have come back because we’re doing something different.”
Matthew Clancy, general manager of Khiri Travel Thailand, also highlighted a shift in demand for destinations beyond Thailand’s main hotspots. “Travel, once again, is becoming more and more about the journey and less about the final destination,” he commented.
“People want journeys that feel authentic, personal, and exploratory rather than commercial or overdeveloped, and there seems to be a growing appetite for places that still feel real, where culture, nature and everyday life have not been shaped primarily around tourism.”
Clancy cited Isaan, where a new Khiri Travel office has been launched in Khon Kaen to develop operations in the region, Lampang, Nan and Loei provinces, as well as Trang province and its islands, as destinations Khiri is developing.
