BANGKOK, Jan 2 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is satisfied with the robust tourism cash exchange during the New Year period with about Bt13 billion having been circulated.
The country recorded 2.3 million foreign and local tourists and hotel occupancies of 95 per cent.
The northern region recorded the highest number of tourists reported at almost 500,000 persons and earned an income of about Bt3.5 billion.
Thawatchai Arunyik, deputy TAT governor in charge of the domestic tourism market said the overall New Year’s tourism picture is very lucrative.
Ranked second in the number of tourists is the central region with 360,000 tourists and an income of Bt1.6 billion, followed by the southern region with 350,000 tourists and Bt3.2 billion having been spent.
Mr Thawatchai said that besides the cold temperatures attracting tourists, other factors supporting robust tourism are new car owners under the government’s first car buyers scheme, who want to travel by heir new vehicles, the overall improved economy and the absence of floods this year.
This year, he said, the TAT has a campaign to promote tourism during the low season to boost the travel business the whole year.
The TAT targets an increase of three per cent in tourist numbers and six per cent in revenue.
