The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) disclosed that Thailand’s tourism revenue for the first five months of 2023 reached 959 billion baht, with international visitors accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total. The agency expects its tourism revenue to reach 2.38 trillion baht by the end of 2023, around 80% of the 3 trillion baht recorded in 2019.
TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn stated that Thai tourists accounted for 360 billion baht from nearly 100 million domestic trips, while international tourists generated an income of 599 million baht from 10.56 million trips. He said that the country welcomed 1.97 million overseas tourists last month, the majority of whom came from Malaysia, followed by China, India, South Korea, and Laos.
Thapanee Kiatphaiboon, TAT Deputy Governor for the domestic market, expressed optimism for the remainder of the year. She stated that the TAT hopes to welcome a minimum of 25 million international tourists in the next seven months, with a surge in visitors expected in the last three months of this year.
According to the TAT the deputy governor, the organization now plans to launch new campaigns in the second half of the year, focusing on subculture themes such as stargazing routes, and trips for animal lovers.
TAT is also assisting provinces to showcase their unique art, culture, and tourist attractions to attract visitors to reduce overcrowding in primary tourism destinations like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. The agency now sets the goal to welcome 30-35 million international visitors in 2024. (NNT)
