Bluport Hua Hin Resort Mall is repositioning itself to attract more families and local visitors by expanding its lifestyle, sports and entertainment offerings, aiming to raise occupancy to 97% next year from 80%.
Vajee Klomkliang, an executive committee member of Hua Hin Asset Co, the developer and operator of the complex, said the strategy reflects changing consumer behaviour.
"Hua Hin's retail sector can no longer rely solely on tourists, despite the steady recovery in the area," she said. "Bluport once appeared too luxurious and difficult for many people to access. We are making it friendlier and more welcoming."
The company shifted its focus from traditional retail towards family-oriented experiences by adding attractions such as indoor playground HarborLand, pickleball courts, educational facilities and sports-related tenants.
The complex is becoming a sports destination, hosting sporting events in partnership with Proud Group Co, the developer and owner of InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, said Ms Vajee.
A 2,000-square-metre fitness centre operated by a well-known fitness brand is planned for the third floor, she noted.
Since HarborLand opened earlier this year, the number of Thai visitors has increased by 15-20%, particularly families from nearby provinces as well as weekend visitors from Bangkok. Bluport attracts around 18,000 visitors on weekdays and 25,000 on weekends.
To increase repeat visits from local residents, the mall organises vintage markets every Wednesday and Saturday, generating more than 10% additional traffic on these days, said Ms Vajee.
Retail occupancy has improved steadily to 80%, up from 75% last year and 63% in 2024. The company expects the figure to reach 83% by year-end.
Bluport reached its lowest point during the pandemic in 2021, when it temporarily closed the second and third floors and consolidated tenants onto the ground floor.
"Hua Hin's retail recovery was much slower than tourism," she said. "We realised we had to create our own destinations instead of waiting for the market."
That outlook prompted Bluport to diversify beyond retail, investing in the Hua Hin Convention Center, which opened two years ago to strengthen the resort town's meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sector. The venue accommodates up to 2,000 people in theatre-style seating, or 1,000 for banquets, with daily rental fees of around 120,000 baht. The centre recorded 70% occupancy in the first half of this year.
Another attraction is Museo Auto Classica, which opened earlier this year, combining Thailand's first operational classic car museum with an art gallery under one roof. Daily attendance has risen from around 100 visitors to roughly 300 today, with foreigners accounting for 70%.
The mall also benefits from changing tourism patterns. Russian visitors have become Hua Hin's largest international market, typically staying longer than other nationalities during the extended winter season. Arrivals from Britain, the US, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea have also increased, while a growing British expat community has strengthened weekday spending at the mall.
Ms Vajee said improved transport links would strengthen Hua Hin's tourism prospects, including the upcoming M82 motorway, resuming direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, and the Nong Kae railway station, which has made the resort town more accessible.
"Hua Hin already has strong tourism fundamentals. What the city needs now is better transport," she said.
Ms Vajee suggested reviving the ferry service between Hua Hin and Pattaya, saying family travel increasingly involves three generations travelling together.
"The middle generation often wants to continue their trip to Pattaya after visiting Hua Hin, while grandparents and children prefer to remain here. A ferry connection would support that travel pattern," she said.
