Thailand’s newly appointed Tourism and Sports Minister Sermsak Pompanit has reaffirmed his ambition to maintain the government’s tourism revenue target of 3.5 trillion baht ($99 billion) this year.
According to Thai media, this goal will require 2.3 trillion baht from 40 million foreign tourists and 1.2 trillion baht from domestic travel by 200 million to 220 million Thai tourists.
As Saudi Arabia will host Southeast Asia’s first FIFA World Congress in mid-May, the ministry said it will leverage Thailand’s unique sports resources, namely Thai martial arts, to promote sports tourism.
He also highlighted several measures that should be taken to achieve revenue targets, including promotions in countries with visa exemptions during low seasons and travel packages that include services in related industries such as healthcare and weddings. was also revealed.
Additionally, the ministry plans to carry out tourism campaigns and events for the high season to attract tourists from colder countries. We also introduce new destinations in less popular states.
“We need a comprehensive plan to provide travelers with a wide variety of options and information, while also improving tourism services to provide easy access to scattered tourist destinations,” Selmsak said at this week’s conference. It should be improved.”
He also pointed out that special tourism campaigns should be carried out among the Kingdom’s main tourism sources, such as China. He said some travel promotions will be released before China’s Golden Week in October.
According to the ministry, as of May 6, a total of 12.6 million foreign tourists visited Thailand, generating tourism revenue worth 605.2 billion baht. Chinese tourists account for the largest number of tourists, totaling approximately 2.5 million.
Thailand’s Kasikorn Research Center predicts the country’s hotel occupancy rate will be around 70% this year due to an increase in tourists. The average length of stay for foreign tourists was 10.2 days, one day more than in 2019.
The center’s recent report estimates that revenue from the hotel accommodation industry is expected to reach 950 billion baht this year, up 16% from a year ago. This income will also lead to increased income for local residents involved in the travel industry.
To increase tourism revenue, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has been promoting tourism in second-tier cities in recent months. TAT Governor Tapani Kiafaiboul said TAT will launch a campaign to promote domestic tourism during the low season.
