Travel Impact Newswire

30 Jun 2026

In an industry first, AirAsia MOVE to share free market trends data to help Thai tourism

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – AirAsia MOVE is to provide the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) with free market data under a collaboration partnership designed to facilitate the country’s tourism recovery. A sample batch of travel insights and seven key trends covering traveller behaviour and booking data in the first half of 2026 was released at the 23 June Press conference and Strategic Partnership MOU Signing Ceremony.

“Data is the new currency,” said Mr Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Thailand Country Head of AirAsia MOVE and a former Deputy Governor of the TAT. “We have access to a large amount of data that could be of use to the TAT. I spoke to the TAT Governor (Mrs Thapanee Kiatphaibool) about it, and we agreed to formalise it as part of a collaboration agreement.”

One of Asia’s leading online travel agencies (OTAs), AirAsia MOVE has access to data from over 700 global airlines and more than a million hotels worldwide. According to the media release, the three-year partnership with the TAT will combine AirAsia MOVE’s traveller insights and digital platform capabilities with TAT’s “Five Must Do in Thailand” campaign. The two sides will leverage technology, traveller intelligence and regional connectivity to conduct joint marketing initiatives and co-branded campaigns to drive domestic and international travel to Thailand.

AirAsia MOVE released this sample batch of data-driven travel insights and seven key trends:

1. Asia remains the primary driver of inbound tourism to Thailand: Malaysia, India, China, and Indonesia remain AirAsia MOVE’s top source markets for Thailand, reflecting strong and sustained travel demand across the region.

2. Millennials and Gen Z continue to shape Thai inbound travel: Across key markets, travellers aged 30–39 remain among the largest segments. They seek more personalised and meaningful experiences, including adventure, local culture, culinary discovery and immersive activities.

3. Free Independent Travellers (FIT) and solo have become the new normal: Solo Travellers account for 59.57% of all bookings, highlighting the continued growth of Free & Easy travel and a shift away from traditional group tours.

4. India remains one of Thailand’s strongest inbound markets: Indian visitors continue to be a key growth market. Family and large-group travellers account for more than 43% of Indian visitors travelling to Thailand, with many staying between 7–15 days. In addition, Indian visitors generate the highest revenue per booking on the platform.

5. Indonesia demonstrates strong loyalty and meaningful travel opportunities: While couple travellers account for 24.71% of Indonesian bookings, Indonesian travellers show strong engagement with the AirAsia MOVE ecosystem, with 73.4% of seats sold coming from AirAsia Members, reflecting high loyalty and repeat travel potential. This presents significant opportunities for destinations such as Krabi, Chiang Mai and Samui to attract Indonesian travellers seeking authentic local experiences, nature, wellness and memorable getaways.

6. The United States remains an important long-haul source market: Travellers aged 50 and above account for 32% of all US visitors on the platform, the highest among all markets. With a round-trip booking rate of 77%, these travellers tend to stay longer, spend more and often use Thailand as a gateway to explore the rest of Southeast Asia.

7. East Asian travellers continue to be among the highest spenders: Visitors from China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan demonstrate strong spending power, with more than 70% staying in Thailand for up to five days. This creates opportunities for premium short-break experiences, city escapes, festivals and event-driven tourism.

Mr Chattan said, “These travel insights reflect the evolving preferences of today’s travellers and highlight new opportunities for Thailand’s tourism industry to better understand changing consumer behaviour and develop more personalised, meaningful and sustainable travel experiences.”

He said the raw data will be shared free but specific marketing campaigns will be jointly funded. He will be meeting TAT officials to discuss details, such as the frequency and depth of the data, which could also be made available to the private sector, media, research institutions, universities and any other interested parties.

Mr Chattan said the collaboration agreement with Thailand is the first of its kind, but could be expanded to other countries across the AirAsia network, if head office considers it of benefit.

Ms. Thapanee was quoted as saying, “This partnership marks another important step in advancing the Platform Economy, one of the five strategic pillars that TAT is leveraging to strengthen Thailand’s tourism industry alongside the Life Economy, Night Economy, Subculture Economy and Circular Economy.” She said the agreement would help support tourism development in both major and secondary destinations, and promote travel to UNESCO Creative Cities and green destinations.

Ms. Nadia Omer, CEO of AirAsia MOVE, called it “a pivotal step in advancing regional travel.” She added,” By supporting the ‘Platform Economy’ pillar of the Amazing 5 Economy framework, AirAsia MOVE is uniquely positioned to accelerate this growth. Over the next three years, we will leverage our expansive ecosystem and data-driven insights to transform traveller aspiration into action, funnel demand to local operators, empower communities and foster sustainable economic growth across Thailand.”