TAT confident of achieving THB 3 trillion in tourism revenue
Governor acknowledges reduced spending power but says increase in tourist numbers, both foreign and local, will compensate
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced on Tuesday that it is confident that Thailand will achieve its tourism revenue target of 3 trillion baht, which is around 30% higher than 2023.
Around 2 trillion baht would be from foreign arrivals, and 1 trillion baht from domestic travellers, TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said.
She added that TAT estimated total foreign arrivals this year to exceed 36.7 million people, increasing 28% year on year.
“The global economy is fluctuating, and international tourists are tightening their belts,” she said. “We cannot force them to spend more, so the TAT will focus on increasing both the number of tourists and revenue by expanding the market to various cities.”
Thapanee said tourists appear to be favouring more frequent trips to nearby provinces instead of a single long-distance trip.
The TAT expects to attract more than three million Chinese tourists in the last four months of this year, especially during the Chinese national day holidays, which start on October 1.
From September 17, the event “Amazing Thailand, Mid-Autumn Night” will be held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Thailand-China relationship, with the participation of Chinese artist Luo Yunxi, said Thapanee.
She added that the TAT had signed a letter of intention with Tuniu, a popular online travel platform in China to promote tailored-made tourism programmes for large families of more than 10 people.
From January 1 to August 31, Thailand welcomed 23,567,850 foreign tourists, increasing 31% YoY, who have spent around 1.107 trillion baht.
The top five foreign arrivals this year are Chinese (4.78 million people), followed by Malaysians (3.26 million), Indians (1.36 million), South Koreans (1.24 million), and Russians (1.08 million).
