TAT targets 34m visitors

The tourism-receipts target represents a 10-per-cent increase from last year’s revenue, TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said yesterday. The forecast of 34.3 million international visitors equates to a 5.5-per-cent rise year on year, while their estimated spending of Bt1.81 trillion is 10 per cent up on the 2016 level. 
The main reasons for the predicted growth in international arrivals and spending are a recovery in the Russian economy, the waiving of visa fees for tourists having been sanctioned until the end of February, and brighter economic prospects in Asian source markets, he explained.
For the domestic market, the agency’s prediction of for 154 million trips is 6.19 per cent up on last year’s figure. 
Local residents are expected to spend Bt953 billion on tourism and travel activities during the course of the year. 
Yuthasak said that despite many negative factors, including a crackdown on zero-dollar tours that affected the mainland China market, the Kingdom welcomed 32.6 million international tourists last year, 9 per cent higher than in 2015.
Income from foreign visitors totalled around Bt1.65 trillion.
Meanwhile, local residents made 145 million trips within the country and spent a total of Bt860 billion.
In order to strengthen the tourism industry this year, the TAT plans to organise major events such as the “World Travel and Tourism and Council Congress”, “Thailand Festival Experience, “TAT at World Expo Astana”, “Ekiden” in Ayuthaya, , an “Asean bucket list”, “New Thailand” grand sales, “The World Comes to Thailand” (Asia’s 50 best restaurants and more), film tourism, and “Thailand at its Best” – with the last of these being aimed specifically at the Chinese market.