TAT pushes Thailand as high earner in tourism stakes

Thapanee, who will become the next governor in September this year, added that the TAT aims to generate 1.9 trillion baht from 35 million foreign tourists and 1.08 trillion baht from 200 million Thai tourists in the domestic market.

By encouraging cross-region travel, 2024 is expected to see total tourism revenues of 3 trillion baht, close to the levels of 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.

However, she warned that the slowing economy, high inflation, geopolitical tensions, political uncertainty, and the environmental crisis all pose risks to the tourism industry and stressed that TAT will need cooperation from all stakeholders to meet revenue targets, she added.

In 2024, the TAT will prioritise offering valuable experiences to the target group of quality tourists through its “PASS” strategy:

1. Partnership 360: collaborating with partners in and outside the tourism sector in a 360-degree manner,

2. Accelerate access to the digital world: accelerate business development based on data-driven marketing and digital technology,

3. Sub-culture movement: dive deep into sub-culture movements, and

4. Sustainable NOW, which aims for immediate sustainability,

Also. TAT will work on “The LINK: Local to Global” strategy, integrating its work in the domestic and international markets with the values of “local experience, innovation, networking, and keeping character, she said.

She explained that TAT aims to generate revenue from 10 main foreign markets in 2024 divided into seven close-distance markets, namely China, Malaysia, South Korea, India, Australia, Singapore, and Vietnam, and three far-distance markets: Russia, the United Kingdom, and the US.

To this end, the TAT has five main strategic directions:

1) Promote Thailand’s sustainability image across cultural and environmental dimensions through “travel with care,” which aims to avoid negative impacts on communities; “fair income”, which aims to distribute the generated revenue equally in the community; and, “encourage identity and biodiversity,” by changing Thailand’s image to an environmental destination.

2) Penetrate new markets. TAT will aim to attract quality tourists all year round, especially from far-distance markets in Europe like the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, with much of the promotion conducted by the TAT office in Prague. This will target couples and families who have never been to Thailand before through charter flights to, for example, Phuket and Krabi. Flights from the Middle East will focus on Saudi Arabia, with 150,000 Saudi tourists expected this year and 200,000 to 250,000 tourists in 2024.

Sub-culture movements also have potential, she added. Examples include the OYA-Rich in Japan, partner seekers and wedding groups from China, new businesspeople, pilgrims from Malaysia and Singapore, Indian wedding groups, and health and beauty groups from ASEAN, Russia, and China. Other demographics of interest are “digital nomads” and those on “workcations”.

“To make Thailand a true leader in tourism, we must satisfy all sub-culture groups because they will provide Thailand with year-round travel,” Thapanee said.

3) Seeking cooperation with new business partners including clothing brands from Latin America, and promoting environmentally friendly and luxury tourism.

4) Linking land routes for tourists by encouraging cross-border land travel such as Chinese tour caravans, those travelling through the China-Laos high-speed rail, and Malaysian tourists. The latter will be encouraged to travel deep into Thailand beyond just southern provinces like Songkhla or Surat Thani.

5) Using social media to present digital content that appeals to the greatest number of travellers. For example, in the South Korean market, the TAT has created a virtual influencer named “Rosie”, who presents travel experiences to Gen Y, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha target groups.

“In 2024, the TAT will promote tourism to the international market through the Meaningful Relationship campaign that will aim to convey meaningful perspectives on travel during visitors’ stay in Thailand. The TAT hopes to create close relationships with travellers so that they revisit Thailand, increase their average duration of stay and spending, and then spread the word of their positive experiences to their families and friends,” Thapanee concluded.