The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has revised its target for Indian arrivals from 1.4 million to 2 million this year due to recent changes in COVID-19 regulations by the Indian government.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare of India issued revised measures on February 9, scrapping pre-departure RT-PCR COVID test requirements for passengers from Thailand and other countries. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said this means Indian tourist arrivals may rebound faster than predicted, possibly matching the 2019 figure of 2 million arrivals by the end of the year.
Thailand has so far received 2.58 million foreign visitors this year, of which about 122,300 were from India. Tourist arrivals to Thailand with numbers currently exceeding those from India include Malaysia, Russia and South Korea.
The TAT governor meanwhile explained the gradual increase in Chinese tourist arrivals after the resumption of overseas trips for tour groups on February 6. He noted that limited seating capacity has been an issue as airlines prepare for expansion, adding that the number of Chinese arrivals is already climbing and will continue to increase in the coming weeks. (NNT)
