Bangkok, Thailand, July 21, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX The Tourism Authority of Thailand has announced its 2023 marketing plan, which continues this year's objective of revitalizing and transforming Thai tourism, with a greater focus on the recovery of the tourism sector towards stronger and more sustainable, responsible, digital and inclusive tourism growth.

The annual conference on the TAT Action Plan 2023, held as a hybrid event, was chaired by HRH Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports. Also in attendance were Dr. Thosaporn Sirisumphand, Chairman of the Board of the TAT, as well as representatives from Thailand's public and private tourism sectors and members of the media.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the TAT, stated: “The TAT views 2023 as a year of new beginnings for Thai tourism. Therefore, we have developed our marketing strategy for the coming year in line with the TAT's corporate plan for the period 2023–2027. This plan aims to strengthen the TAT's position as a strategic leader in promoting experiential and sustainable tourism in Thailand.”

“The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is committed to revitalizing and transforming Thai tourism through its three strategic goals: increasing demand for meaningful travel, shaping supply by developing a new tourism ecosystem, and striving for excellence by establishing the TAT as a data-driven organization. We are confident that this will significantly advance our goal of achieving high-quality and sustainable growth in Thai tourism,” added Mr. Yuthasak.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will continue to use the "Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters" campaign as its communication strategy for the international market. Under the slogan "From AZ: Amazing Thailand Has It All," Thailand will continue to be promoted as a world-class travel destination that offers something for everyone. This will be presented alongside the five pillars of Thai soft power: cuisine, film, fashion, festivals, martial arts, music, museums, art, and culture.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recognizes 2023 as a pivotal year, particularly for the international long-haul market. Therefore, the focus will be on positioning Thailand as a year-round destination for health and wellness enthusiasts, families with children, active seniors, and teleworkers and remote workers through joint promotional campaigns with leading brands. Strategic marketing activities will be launched in new source markets, including Saudi Arabia and major US cities, through partnerships with airlines.

For the international short-haul market, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched "The Great Resumption" initiative as part of its "2Qs, 5News" strategy. The "2Qs" encompass rapid successes to revive tourist demand and quality initiatives to drive repeat visits and increased travel spending. The "5News" include new segments with growth potential, new regions for source markets, new partners in existing markets, new infrastructure in the travel and tourism sector, and new travel experiences with a focus on responsible tourism. The TAT will also promote all entry points to Thailand – by land, sea, and air – with the goal of restoring more than 80% of regional flight capacity in 2019.

Furthermore, cooperation between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and airlines will be intensified to boost international tourism by increasing seat capacity to Thailand. Initially, the focus will be on key source markets without travel restrictions to meet the travel demand of high-income groups (Millennials, Generation X, and seniors), groups with a high need for personalized experiences (health and wellness tourism, sports tourism, and sustainable tourism), and emerging segments (digital nomads and remote workers).

For the domestic market, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is focusing on increasing the frequency of domestic tourism by promoting Thailand as a year-round destination under its "REAL" strategy: Responsible Tourism, Exceptional Experiences, Innovative Marketing, and a Less-Effortless Economy. This strategy highlights the best of each of Thailand's five regions: nostalgic experiences in the North for multi-generational families, innovative "Trend C2" itineraries in the Central Region for Generations Y and Z, culinary and luxury tourism offerings in the regions for high-income Generation Y and Millennial families, Dharma nature and culture itineraries in the Northeast for Generation Y and professionals, and inclusive and responsible tourism in the South. The TAT will also promote smaller towns and cities throughout Thailand.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has developed its 2023 marketing plan in accordance with the Thai government's Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model, which aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The BCG model aims to revitalize tourism by enabling safe, inclusive, and sustainable travel.

In order to “strive for excellence” by transforming the TAT into a data-driven organization, the TAT will also utilize the Thailand Tourism Virtual Mart (TTVM) as a central online B2B platform for Thai tourism companies and international tour operators.

“For 2023, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates total tourism revenue of 1.73 trillion baht, of which 970 billion baht will come from the international market and 760 billion baht from the domestic market (base scenario). In the most optimistic scenario, revenue of 2.38 trillion baht is expected, with 1.50 trillion baht from the international market and 880 billion baht from the domestic market. This corresponds to approximately 80% of Thailand’s tourism output in 2019,” Yuthasak concluded.