Food Magazine June 2018 | Page 85

2017 was another banner year for tourism in Thailand . One of the world ’ s most visited countries , Thailand welcomed a record breaking thirty-five million visitors . With no disruptive events anticipated for 2018 , hoteliers in Thailand are expecting a relatively smoother year . Yet , fierce competition from the additional supply , ever-changing distribution landscape , and challenging talent recruitments continue to plague the industry . The growth in relative room rates is expected to be constrained by the incoming new supply .

Competition amongst various distribution channels has also intensified ; requiring increased efforts for hoteliers to maintain rate parity . On the F & B front , the first Michelin Guide in Thailand has been published , making its mark on the fiercely competitive restaurant and bar scene . Together with the increasing distribution costs and labour costs , hoteliers will have to innovate in revenue creation and improve operational efficiency in order to drive profitability .

Hotel Management Thailand Summit ( HMT ), a neutral one-stop strategy platform , will return to Bangkok on 7 June this year to directly address all key management , operational , commercial and financial challenges that impact corporate and property P & L . https :// www . questexevent . com / HotelManagementSummit / 2018 / thailand

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