BANGKOK, 4 August 2015 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has aimed at generating two trillion baht in revenue from the tourism sector in 2016.
TAT’s Deputy Governor for International Marketing Juthaporn Rerngronasa declared tourism revenue during the first half of 2015 a success. She thanked government efforts to focus on tourism this year and promote the Discover Thainess campaign. The year-long campaign invites local and foreign tourists to travel the country in search of its identity.
The campaign was launched last year, with the introduction of more tourism activities and marketing operations held in foreign countries. The campaign drew 12.48 million tourists in the first five months, a growth of 25% from the same period last year, and generated 592 billion baht in revenue.
Mrs. Juthaporn revealed that of the total number of tourists, 65% are from Asia and 25% from Europe. She noted that the depreciation of the Ruble has caused the number of Russian tourists to fall.
The TAT is now aiming to generate about 2.33 trillion baht in tourism revenue in 2016 by attracting middle-income tourists through activities that encourage consumer spending. To achieve target revenue, the TAT is planning to hold roadshow events in new foreign cities in Malaysia, Singapore, England, France, and China.
Mrs. Juthaporn also invited the general public to travel in the country with their mother in August, in a Mother’s Day celebration this month that features activities on holidays, weekends, and weekdays.
