Bangkok (Thailand) – January 13, 2016 (travelindex) – Thailand will strengthen domestic tourism as part of its goals to achieve sustainability in tourism, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said at a press conference on Monday together with senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), as well as representatives from the public and private sectors involved in the tourism industry.

The discussions focused on how corrective measures and advertising campaigns could be implemented through cooperation with relevant organizations, the private sector, and airlines to boost the country's tourism this year. The Deputy Prime Minister concluded that Thailand should strongly promote domestic tourism to achieve competitiveness and a sustainable market share.

“The Ministry of Tourism and the TAT have been tasked with developing and implementing strategies to promote tourism in the country,” the Deputy Prime Minister stated. “One project that needs to be discussed is ‘One District – One Destination.’ The aim is to enhance popular destinations and create new ones through a compelling narrative, encouraging travelers to discover new places.”

He added that policymakers should also promote tourism and the quality of local products, noting that particular attention should be paid to the quality of souvenirs, tourist activities, and pedestrian zones.

"The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Investment Board of Thailand have been tasked with implementing incentive measures to encourage the private sector and communities to invest in the tourism and hospitality sector."

To strengthen Thailand's role as a hub for regional tourism, the deputy prime minister called on authorities to expand cooperation with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (also known in trade circles as the CLMV market). "The focus should be on developing joint travel packages, tourism products, flight connections, and transportation options," he said.

The Minister of Tourism and Sport, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, stated at the press conference that the domestic market would be a key economic driver this year, as campaigns encourage travelers to venture beyond the well-known tourist destinations. "We are confident that targeted campaigns such as '12 Hidden Gems,' '12 Hidden Gems Plus,' and 'According to Legend…' will boost the domestic market this year," she said.

To boost domestic tourism, authorities will meet with airlines to develop new destinations and increase flight frequencies to key locations. “We need to examine the potential of new routes that will increase passenger traffic at U-Tapao International Airport in Pattaya, Krabi, and Chiang Mai, and connect secondary destinations with neighboring countries, particularly Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Direct flights to the destinations promoted through the ‘12 Hidden Gems’ and ‘12 Hidden Gems Plus’ campaigns are necessary and a priority for us. However, we need to assess the province’s passenger-attracting potential and airport capacity.”

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Dr. Yuthasak Supasorn, has launched a new campaign called “Thai Chuai Thai” (Thai supporting Thai), which will reward Thai travelers with a monthly prize draw worth 1 million baht and offer an even bigger prize quarterly to encourage Thais to travel within their own country.

Campaign details will be released shortly before the February launch. The campaign will run until December. "We are currently negotiating discounts with airlines and hotels to encourage Thais to travel domestically, particularly with offers for long weekends and special travel packages for niche target groups such as government officials, corporate clients, students, retirees, and sports enthusiasts," he added.

Thailand's tourism sector is expected to generate revenue of 2.41 trillion baht this year, an upward revision from the previously estimated 2.3 trillion baht. Of this, 1.56 trillion baht is expected to come from international markets and 0.85 trillion baht from domestic travel.

In 2015, Thailand generated 2.23 trillion baht, of which 1.44 trillion baht came from international markets and 0.79 trillion baht from the domestic sector.

International Public Relations Department, Tourism Authority of Thailand, 1600 New Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathevi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand, Tel.: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48, Fax: +66 (0) 2253 7419, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.TATnews.org