Samui Tourism strengthened by 9% growth in air arrivals and 6% rise in cruise visitors and on the hotel front, occupancy peaked in January 2025 with an 8% year-on-year increase, while April saw marketwise average rates rise by up to 21%.
From January to April 2025, Samui International Airport welcomed 1,127,832 passenger arrivals, reflecting a 9% increase compared to the same period in 2024. For the full year 2024, total arrivals reached 2,781,564, representing a 21% year-on-year growth and exceeding the 2019 pre-pandemic level of 2,417,246. These figures underscore the island’s strong recovery.
European travelers accounted for 56% of international arrivals in 2024, led by Germany, the United Kingdom, and France.
The European market saw double-digit growth over the previous year, supported by enhanced air connectivity through Bangkok Airways and 30 codeshare partners with international carriers across Europe and Australia, including Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM.
China ranked as the leading Asian source market in 2024, driven by non-scheduled direct flights connecting Samui with Chengdu and Chongqing via Bangkok Airways, and Xi’an via Tibet Airlines.
Currently, scheduled international flights to Samui remain limited, with Bangkok Airways operating direct services from Singapore and Hong Kong. These flights represented 14% of total flights from January to April 2025, compared to 22% during the same period in 2019.
Samui’s cruise tourism sector has also shown strong performance. The island ranked among the top three busiest cruise ports in Thailand, alongside Patong Bay in Phuket and Laem Chabang in Chonburi.
In 2024, Samui received 50 cruise liners with a total of 94,681 passengers, nearly doubling the 32 vessels and 51,227 passengers recorded in 2023.
The top five cruise source markets in 2024 were Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. From January to April 2025, the island welcomed 35 cruise ships carrying 65,792 passengers, reflecting a 6% year-on-year increase.
Download and read C9 Hotelworks Samui Hotel & Tourism Market Review 2025 report here
