Thailand is expecting to generate record tourism revenues in 2017.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Sydney director, Rujiras Chatchalermkit, said that the country is forecasting a further rise from 2016’s record figure of US$46 billion, which itself marked a 12% increase compared to 2015.
“With a continued marketing focus on immersive experiences… TAT aims to move from the nation’s previous appeal as a budget destination for young full moon party-goers, instead focusing on the increasing global demand for high-end quality tourism product. This focus on quality tourism has seen a move from simply counting visitor numbers to measuring tourism revenue,” Rujiras said.
Thailand’s 2017 revenues are likely to be boosted this month, as the TAT hosts the Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF) in Bangkok. This event is timed to coincide with Chinese New Year, which is expected to attract more than 650,000 visitors and generate up to THB400 million (US$11.2m) in revenue between 25 and 29 January 2017.
