Bangkok, Thailand, April 9, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin outlined his vision to boost tourism in Thailand by 2025 with a multi-faceted approach and establish the country as a tourism hub. Prime Minister Thavisin reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening Thailand's position as a tourism center to stimulate the economy and create prosperity. "The goal is to make Thailand a leading destination for tourists from all over the world."

He explained that the government's goal of generating 3.5 trillion baht in tourism revenue this year and significantly more in the coming years would be achieved through five strategies.

The strategies developed at the “Ignite Thailand’s Tourism Workshop” on March 15, 2024 in Bangkok, with the participation of public and private stakeholders, include improving the tourist experience, promoting must-do activities, raising awareness of hidden gems among destinations, developing intraregional travel links with neighboring countries, and hosting more world-class events.

The Minister of Tourism and Sport, Ms. Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, said the five strategies were in line with the government's policy to make Thailand a global aviation hub handling more than 150 million air passengers annually by 2030.

“Thailand’s tourism will experience unprecedented growth in 2025. The new concept of ‘Enhancement, Storytelling, Value Creation’ will improve every step of the tourist journey at all touchpoints,” said Minister Sudawan.

The five strategies are outlined below:

1: Improving the tourist experience

Measures are being taken to promote tourism information and advertising for Thailand so that tourists can plan an informed trip to the country.

Existing measures to ensure the safety and comfort of tourists will be strictly enforced. These include, among other things, barrier-free "tourism for all," a central tourist police hotline at 1155, and comprehensive emergency medical care.

Travel facilitation measures will be further improved over the next three months. This includes optimizing queue management at airports, raising hotel standards, extending visa-free travel to more countries, improving security measures for tourists, and ensuring good maintenance and hygiene in public restrooms.

Over the next six months, the government plans to push for changes to the relevant tourism laws, including hotel regulations, alcohol restrictions, import duties on equipment for major events, and VAT refund provisions.

2: Five activities you absolutely must do

Must Beat (Muay Thai) showcases four unique styles of ancient Thai boxing and presents the sport as a form of cardiovascular training.

Must Eat (Thai food) presents Thai cuisine to the world with 77 local dishes and 77 local desserts.

Must Seek (Thai Culture) tells the story of a faith-based journey, cultural superstitions, and folklore.

Must Buy (Thai Fabric) collaborates with world-renowned designers to create fashion items from Thai fabrics.

Must See (Thai Shows) presents impressive traditional and contemporary performances.

3: Travel connections between well-known and lesser-known destinations

Promoting travel links between established cities and hidden gems in lesser-known destinations should contribute to a better distribution of tourist numbers and tourism revenue between urban and rural areas.

Recommended routes include Lanna Culture (Chiang Mai - Lamphun - Lampang), UNESCO Heritage Trail (Sukhothai - Kamphaeng Phet - Nakhon Ratchasima), NAGA Legacy (Nakhon Phanom - Sakon Nakhon - Bueng Kan), Paradise Islands (Trang - Satun) and The Wonder of Deep South (Pattani - Yala - Narathiwat).

The plans include promoting intra-regional travel and supporting the development and marketing of ASEAN as a unified tourism destination, introducing the ASEAN passport in partnership with airlines, and raising awareness of cross-border QR payments.

Incentives are being created to attract major festivals, concerts and events to Thailand, thus establishing the country as a center for world-class events.

Upcoming world-class events include Summer Sonic Bangkok 2024, KAWS Arts, Moto GP and the Volleyball World Championship.

Minister Sudawan said: "These five strategies are designed to make Thailand a tourism hub, attracting more tourists to the country who will spend more time and money there, and further strengthening Thailand as the number one tourist destination."

From January 1st to April 1st, 2024, Thailand recorded 9.4 million visitor arrivals, an increase of 42 percent compared to the same period in 2023.