Thailand's tourism sector has rebounded with positive sentiments, as
it is projected to receive 25-30 million international tourists in 2023,
injecting 1.5 trillion baht (US$43.5 billion) into the economy.
During 'The Future of Thai tourism after Covid-19: A new era begins'
briefing at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in Bangkok
earlier this week, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, deputy governor for
marketing communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT),
provided insights into the country's recent tourism performance.
Thailand’s top performing markets
Malaysia, Thailand’s southern neighbour, remains the
top visitor source market with nearly 2.4 million visitors in the first
seven months of 2023, of which overland tourists make up a significant
chunk.
China, which was the top source market for Thailand
with 11 million visitors in 2019, is currently ranked second with nearly
1.8 million visitors to date. The return of China visitors hasn’t been
as quickly as anticipated, Chattan admitted, although the recovery
momentum for the Chinese market has been picking up in latter months.
South Korea is in third spot with approximately
866,747 visitors to date and has “exceeded expectations”, on its way to
surpassing previous records, according to the TAT executive.
India stands in fourth place with about 858,843
visitors to Thailand to date, and flight connections with the
destination are gradually recovering.
Russia, in fifth place, remains a major market for
Thailand, particularly during the winter months when arrivals soar. So
far, over 840,128 Russian visitors have travelled to the country.
Despite seeing a downturn in arrival numbers from Japan, TAT does not
plan to reduce resources or interest in Japan as a visitor source
market. Instead, TAT aims to “address the imbalance” by maintaining a
strong presence in the Japanese market.
Deeper, wider push into emerging markets
To increase Thailand's resilience in the face of unexpected crises,
TAT has pursued a market diversification strategy. This includes
exploring emerging markets in Europe, such as Poland, Czech Republic,
Romania, and Bulgaria. Additionally, countries like Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan have been targeted through roadshows.
Saudi Arabia has emerged as a "superstar" market for Thailand, with
arrivals increasing significantly from 30,000 a year previously to
100,000 in 2022, following the normalisation of bilateral relations
between the two countries last year. The number is projected to grow
even higher in 2023, and TAT is setting up a promotion office in Riyadh
to further enhance this growth.
Amazing Thailand keeps giving
For 2024, Thailand is targeting 35 million international visitors and
1.92 trillion baht (US$56 billion) in tourism revenue. The domestic
sector is projected to see around 200 million domestic trips and 1.08
trillion baht (US$31.5 billion).
Looking ahead, TAT aims to focus on creating valuable experiences for
visitors, with a greater emphasis on growing visitor spend rather than
just visitor numbers. To mitigate overtourism, certain popular
destinations will have limitations put in place, and some islands may be
closed for certain periods.
TAT will continue to maintain the "Amazing Thailand" brand, and the
NTO will adopt a deeper segmentation strategy, targeting specific
segments like Chinese couples, Indian weddings, business travellers,
workationers, digital nomads, and health and beauty travellers.