BANGKOK, 23 December 2013 The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is contemplating increasing the number of Chinese visitors next year to more than 5 million by promoting niche products.
According to the TAT, the authority has plans to focus its attention on middle- and upper-class tourists, meaning those from China as well as India and ASEAN countries. The ultimate goal for 2014 is to raise the country’s annual tourism revenue to the set target of 1.3 trillion baht, a growth of 12%.
The TAT has categorized products to be used to attract visitors into five groups, namely Thai boxing, Thai food, honeymoon and wedding, community tourism, and medical and wellness tourism. These products will be promoted to each group of tourists in accordance with their preference. For instance, Thai boxing, Thai food, and honeymoon and wedding are to be vigorously presented to the Chinese visitors due to their interest in the subjects.
It is believed that China will be the biggest income generator for the Thai tourism sector next year. The number of Chinese arrivals is projected to surge 15% from 4.46 million this year to 5.12 million, with a revenue growth of 22%. Besides being highly adaptable to the changing situation, Chinese travelers also have high purchasing power and could soon be upgraded into the group of quality tourists.
