The esteemed Minister for Tourism and Sports in Thailand, Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, recently disclosed an audacious new goal for foreign tourism earnings: a never-before-seen figure of 3 trillion baht. This bold initiative denotes a considerable leap from the preceding record of 1.9 trillion baht, set in 2019.
The ambitious target is part of a comprehensive blueprint aimed at propelling Thailand to the forefront of the arena of sports and entertainments. Minister Sudawan emphasized that even though the administration is resolute about achieving this ambitious objective, an actionable roadmap is still under construction.
An initial measure to drive up tourism numbers hinted at by Sudawan was the recent cabinet resolution to expand visa exemptions for denizens of specific nations. She stated, “The visionary Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has equipped us with strategies to attract more tourists, including the elimination of visa requirements for certain nations, along with simplifying the airport travel procedures.”
In line with the objective to generate 3 trillion baht from the tourism industry, Sudawan underscored the urgency for implementing widespread, enduring tourism prospects over the forthcoming four years rather than occasional schemes. The Ministry, she explained, is channeling its efforts on orchestrating mass entertainment and sports happenings, including world-class concerts and sports tournaments, as per Bangkok Post’s report.
Sudawan also revealed the target for a wholesome tourism turnover of 3.3 trillion baht by 2024, encapsulating both domestic and overseas markets, in contrast to the 3 trillion baht reported in 2019. Given the monetary constraints for the 2023 financial year, Sudawan hinted at the Ministry’s possibility of requesting an additional budget allocation, a decision pending the finalization of all project plans.
Speaking of potential budgets, Sudawan conveyed that they would be framed based on insights derived from other nations that have triumphantly emerged as regional hotspots of entertainment. The esteemed Minister also hinted at the prospect of creating new infrastructure to elevate the travel experience for tourists.
Simultaneously, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the esteemed Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), disclosed strategies to closely monitor market sentiments in China and Kazakhstan. This move serves as a follow-up to Thailand’s resolution to exclude visas for visitors from these nations from September 25 to February 29, 2024. Kiatphaibool conjectures that without these visa relaxations, the influx of Chinese tourists might only reach 3.7 million this year but could boost to between 4.1 and 4.2 million with the visa exemption.
Thapanee also spotlighted TAT’s persistent attempts to persuade airline companies to amplify seat capacities. This endeavor aligns with the government’s target of earning 2.38 trillion baht from 27-28 million tourists this year. As it stands, Thailand has reserved 2.51 million seats for the peak season from October to March, which figures at only 40% of the level reported in 2019.
The TAT is currently in talks with airlines to institute charter and regular flights to utilize accessible airport slots in the concluding quarter. In an associated development, it was revealed that China’s tourist numbers to Thailand are not predicted to see a rise. Consequently, Thailand’s attention has diverted to Kazakhstan.
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