TAT awaits new government to stimulate tourism in the last quarter

TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the influx of Chinese tourists had yet to meet expectations, as statistics showed that in the first seven months, only 1.85 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand. In July, there were over 400,000 Chinese tourists. However, at least 500,000 visitors from China may visit Thailand in October during the extended holiday, which includes the Chinese National Day.

The TAT estimates Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand to reach 4 million this year, considerably lower than the 5.8 million estimated previously. "This is due to economic issues in China and the Chinese government's stimulus measures to promote domestic spending, including encouraging more citizens to travel within the country. Therefore, Thailand must make itself appealing to reach the goal of attracting at least 5 million Chinese tourists this year," Yuthasak said.

By expediting various conveniences, such as shortening the visa approval period to within 15 days, and considering waiver of visa fees for private sector-promoted tourists, the TAT aims to enhance the appeal of Thailand.

The focus is on easing travel rather than just promotions, as statistics from the first seven months showed that Chinese and Indian tourists were among the top five international arrivals in Thailand, despite the need for visas, he said. This highlights the importance of improving the overall ease of traveling.

The formation of the next Thai government has significant implications for budget allocation for fiscal year 2024, which begins from October each year.

For the budget year 2024, TAT has requested an increase of 1.5 billion baht over the 3 billion baht this year. This budget will cover regular expenses, including personnel costs, as well as existing and potential new marketing projects to attract international tourists to Thailand.

Any delay in government formation would result in a delay in budget approval, which would limit TAT to only utilise 50% of the budget for this year — about 600 million baht — for marketing efforts. With the changing landscape and intense competition in the global tourism market, it might be a constraint if it takes any longer for the new government to be established, the TAT chief said.

However, as of August 8, the TAT introduced the "STAR: Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating" programme to move forward with shaping a sustainable tourism supply chain, under the concept of "Joining Forces to Create Sustainable Thai Tourism”. This is geared towards high-value services and standards.

Through the establishment of sustainable tourism standards, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, the TAT said it aims to deliver valued experiences to tourists while promoting responsible tourism practices. Amid the changing environmental landscape, including global warming and resource depletion, the TAT said it emphasises the importance of maintaining bio-diversity and nurturing environmental consciousness.

Under this programme, businesses meeting self-assessment criteria would be awarded the "Sustainable Star" certificate, which is valid for two years.

The programme has three levels: "3 Stars" for those meeting SDG 13, SDG 16, and SDG 17; "4 Stars" for those meeting these SDGs and any other 6 SDGs; and "5 Stars" for those meeting these SDGs and no fewer than 9 SDGs.

Participating businesses committed to sustaining these standards would be considered for inclusion in TAT's future marketing and promotional activities, both domestically and internationally, starting from August 16 of this year, the agency said. Applications can be submitted through the website www.TATstar.org.