Thailand welcomed 39 million tourists in 2019,targets 3.18 trillion Baht in tourism revenue
Travel Biz News —
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) targets 3.18 trillion Baht in overall tourism revenue for Thailand in 2020, or a 4 per cent year-on-year increase. This includes 2.02 trillion Baht from international tourists and 1.16 trillion Baht from domestic tourists .
The outlook for 2020 follows the overall tourism situation in 2019, which is estimated to generate 3.06 trillion Baht , comprising 1.96 trillion Baht from 39.77 million international tourists and 1.10 trillion Baht from 167 million domestic trips.
Thailand welcomed the 39 millionth tourist on 27 December, 2019.
TAT’s target for 2020 is based on several favourable factors, ranging from the government’s stimulus measures, TAT’s focussed marketing strategies and promotions of emerging destinations, new air routes and the positive outlook of international tourists to Thailand from key source markets, according to TAT statement.
The Thai government has launched 16 tourism stimulus measures aimed at stimulating more inbound travel, including the opening of more VAT refund shops and counters, 24-hour cross-border tourism on the Thai-Malaysian and Thai-Lao borders during weekends and holidays, the e-visa service and exemption of the visa-on-arrival fee until 30 April, 2020, and the 50 per cent discount on airport landing fees for international flights from 1 December, 2019, to 30 April, 2020, to name but a few.
Thailand is also seeing new air routes, including Hangzhou-Chiang Rai, Sendai-Bangkok, Munich-Phuket, and Doha-Chiang Mai.
“Leveraging these favorable factors and gearing up to mark the 60th anniversary in 2020, TAT is committed to making travel and tourism the kingdom’s most economically promising, environmentally sustainable, and culturally vibrant sector,” Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor said.
“TAT is also preparing to overcome several challenges, including the effect from the China–US trade war, the rise in consumption tax in Japan, and Brexit. The strong Thai Baht, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, World Expo 2020 Dubai and stimulus visa schemes from country competitors have also been taken into consideration when laying out our tourism marketing strategies,” he added.
Inputs from TAT news / Image : TAT , Bangkok
