BANGKOK, 7 June 2013 Despite the strong baht and disappointing global economic outlook, the Kasikorn Research Center (KResearch) has predicted that the number of international tourist arrivals this year will reach 25.4 million.
KResearch said that Thailand remains an attractive destination due to its value-for-money products and services and the expansion of airline routes. During the first four months of this year, nearly 9 million tourists visited Thailand, which represents a 19 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
The Chinese market has a pivotal role in the country’s tourism business as 1.53 million Chinese visitors travelled to the kingdom from January to April of 2013, up by nearly 100 percent from last year. The numbers of Japanese and South Korean visitors also recorded significant increases during the same period.
As for European travelers, their arrivals continued to grow, but at a slower pace due to economic problems at home.
KResearch estimated that a tourist arrival figure of 25.4 million could be seen in the whole year of 2013, which would generate income of 1.14 trillion baht for the country.
