Advance hotel bookings in Hat Yai for November and December are slower than usual as tourists remain wary of a repeat of last year’s devastating floods, prompting tourism operators to urge the government to invest in long-term water management infrastructure to restore confidence.
Sitthipong Sitthiphataraprabha, president of the Hat Yai Songkhla Hotels Association, said hotels typically record advance bookings of 30-50% for November and December by this time of year, but reservations have remained sluggish.
Despite promotional offers and flexible booking policies, tourists, particularly Malaysians and Singaporeans who are among the city’s main visitor markets, have yet to return in significant numbers because of lingering concerns about flooding, he said.
“Tourists remain uncertain about visiting the city, recalling last November’s massive floods, and have opted for other destinations instead,” Mr Sitthipong said.
Songchai Mungprasithichai, president of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, said provincial authorities and Hat Yai’s local administration have stepped up flood monitoring and prevention measures, including repairs to major canals. However, these efforts appear insufficient to restore tourists’ confidence.
“Tourists have not forgotten how tens of thousands of people were stranded during last year’s severe flooding,” he said.
Tourism operators have focused on providing accurate information to reassure visitors, but they cannot guarantee that the city will not face another severe flood, Mr Songchai said.
Northern Malaysia, which borders southern Thailand, has experienced heavy rain and flooding in recent weeks, further discouraging Malaysians from visiting Hat Yai.
For October, tourism operators in Hat Yai reported strong business activity only during the Vegetarian Festival mid-month, with hotel bookings dropping significantly afterwards, he said.
The Hat Yai Songkhla Hotels Association expects the city’s average hotel occupancy rate to reach 60% by the end of October, well below the level recorded during the same period last year.
Mr Sitthipong said most hotels remained operational, demonstrating their commitment to supporting the local tourism industry. However, some small operators have closed since last year’s floods because of a lack of capital.
The association, which represents about 120 properties in Songkhla, is preparing evacuation plans for tourists in the event of another severe flood. The preparations include identifying shelters and arranging accommodation at hotels outside Hat Yai in areas considered less vulnerable to flooding.
Mr Sitthipong urged the government to prioritise long-term infrastructure investment and upgrade water management systems to account for climate change and increasingly extreme weather.
He said last year’s flooding had been exceptionally severe partly because the city’s water management system was designed based on water levels recorded more than a decade ago, which no longer reflected current rainfall patterns.
Hat Yai’s low-lying geography also makes it vulnerable to flooding, as water flows through the city towards Songkhla Lake.
He said upgrading the city’s water management infrastructure was essential not only to reduce flood risks but also to rebuild confidence among tourists and support the long-term recovery of the local tourism industry.