I see that many people are starting to show interest in hotel stocks this year, and that’s understandable because tourism has recovered.

In fact, since COVID ended, the tourism sector has changed a lot. Travelers no longer travel in the same way as before. Instead, they look for sustainable and new experiences—making hotel stocks a genuinely interesting option for investors.

If you look at Thailand, there are 5 stocks you should definitely keep an eye on.

The first is MINT, which reported a net profit for 2567 of 7,750 million baht, up 43% from the previous year. This is because the hotel business has strong revenue per available room (RevPAR). The company invests in hotels and food across the world, with a variety of brands ranging from luxury to mid-range.

Another one is AWC, which has hotels in prime locations in Thailand. It manages real estate comprehensively, creating opportunities for long-term growth.

CENTEL is not falling behind either. It has just announced a 19,000 million baht investment plan over 3 years. In 2568, it will open 9 new hotels and upgrade Centara Grand in Hua Hin–Krabi to a luxury level. Revenue is expected to reach 15,000 million baht by the end of the year, growing 23%.

ERW also has diversity across its hotel portfolio, covering both luxury and mid-range options. Its network spans all over Thailand and benefits from domestic tourism.

SHR focuses on the high-end segment, with hotels and resorts in major tourist attractions both in Thailand and abroad. In the fourth quarter of last year, it was expected to return to profitability.

If you look abroad, there are 3 standout hotel groups worldwide.

Marriott (MAR) is the largest hotel group in the world, with famous brands such as Ritz-Carlton and Sheraton. It invests seriously in technology and services.

Hilton (HLT) manages a wide network of hotels and has a continued tendency to expand into new markets, with very high customer satisfaction.

Wyndham (WH) focuses on the budget and mid-range markets, with a diverse set of brands covering multiple regions.

When choosing stocks to buy, you should look at financial results, the occupancy rate, the average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR), because these indicators can tell you how well a hotel is generating income.

You should also follow tourism trends—check how the economy of the countries where the companies do business is doing. Interest rates and exchange rates have an impact, and the location of the hotel is very important. If it’s located in popular tourist destinations and is easy to get to, it has an advantage.

Strong brands and a good reputation help with competition. Companies that have hotels of multiple types in multiple locations are generally at lower risk. The ability to adapt to changing situations is also a key strength.

As for trading methods, people in Thailand can open an account with brokers and trade on the Thai stock exchange (SET), which is easy and fast. You don’t have to worry about exchange rates, and transaction fees are lower than abroad, though options for hotel stocks are more limited.

Another alternative is to buy investment units in mutual funds that focus on hotel stocks. Professionals manage them, and they diversify risk across multiple stocks. This is suitable for people who don’t have time to track the market, but the fees are higher.

For this year, 2568 is a particularly interesting year for hotel stocks, both in Thailand and abroad, driven by tourism recovery, the government’s tourism-support policies, and the return of international tourists.

But remember: investing involves risk. Keep up with news and information from reliable sources, review companies’ performance based on their results, and monitor the tourism industry trends regularly. Global economic conditions, political situations, or unexpected events may also affect the market.