The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has unveiled an ambitious strategy for 2025, designating the year as the “Year of Thailand Tourism”. The initiative, announced by TAT Chairman Nattriya Thaveevong on July 8, is in line with Prime Minister Surendra Tavisin’s directive to take Thailand’s tourism industry to new heights.
TAT has set itself the following goals for 2025:
Foreign tourists: 40 million (up from a forecast of 39 million in 2024)Domestic tourists: 220 million (up from a forecast of 200 million in 2024)Total tourism receipts: about 3.4 trillion baht (US$94 billion), up 7.5-10% from 2024
Mr Tawievong outlined the key strategies for achieving these goals: “TAT plans to synchronise its operations with tourists’ itineraries and collect feedback before, during and after the trip to improve its services.”
The implementation plan includes:
Host large-scale events, especially in the fourth quarter of 2024 Expand air routes Focus on high-spending tourists in the luxury, health and beauty sectors Support major cities and emerging destinations Implement a national tour program Strengthen collaboration between various units and agencies
To support this effort, the government plans to set up 29 TAT offices across the country, with one agency collaborating with every 10 offices in the country.
Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), was even more optimistic, predicting that the number of foreign tourists could reach 40-45 million by 2025.
The Thailand Tourism Grand Year strategy builds on the momentum projected for 2024, when the government aims to attract 36.7 million foreign tourists and generate revenue of 2.3 trillion baht ($63.6 billion).
However, challenges remain, including competition from low-cost tour packages from other countries, particularly China. The success of the 2025 initiative will depend on Thailand overcoming these challenges and capitalizing on emerging trends in global tourism.
