Tourism sector consults PM to extend 'Half-Half Thailand Travel’ campaign and launch domestic tour subsidies

Five major tourism associations met Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on November 18, 2025, proposing short- and long-term measures to revive Thailand’s tourism industry — including extending the 'Half-Half Thailand Travel’ campaign, launching a Let’s Go Halves Tour package, restoring safety confidence within three months, and attracting major global concerts and events to boost international arrivals.

The delegation consisted of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), the Association of Domestic Travel (ADT), the Thai Hotels Association, and the Airlines Association of Thailand.

Tourism industry faces headwinds in 2025

Tourism operators told the prime minister that 2025 has been one of the most challenging years for Thai tourism, with pressure coming from both domestic and international fronts.

While the domestic and long-haul markets remain strong, short-haul markets in East Asia and ASEAN have contracted significantly, especially high-volume markets with over 500,000 visitors per year such as China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam. This may result in a 7% drop in foreign arrivals compared with last year.

Despite this, Thailand remains a preferred destination in Asia. However, its long-held strengths — value for money, variety, and friendliness — are being undermined by rising travel costs, negative news affecting safety perceptions, gaps in service-standard oversight, infrastructure bottlenecks and intensifying competition from emerging regional rivals.

Private sector submits proposals to PM Anutin

The tourism associations recommended a two-track strategy:

1. Urgent measures (within 3 months)

Focused on safety, confidence-building and short-term market stimulation.

Restoring trust

• Establish a special task force for safety and communication to rebuild confidence, combat negative news, and promote positive messaging.
• Strict law enforcement at all tourist touchpoints, with clear announcements of disciplinary and legal actions against misconduct.
• Enhance state-to-state cooperation on tourist safety, such as Thai–Chinese police coordination, and work with foreign embassies to issue updated advisory notes and promote safe attractions.

Reviving market momentum

For foreign tourists:
• Quick-win campaigns including global concerts and mega-events, film-shooting incentives, and airfare promotions bundling domestic routes.

For Thai tourists:
• Extend the the 'Half-Half Thailand Travel’ campaign.
• Launch Let’s Go Halves Tour for domestic tour packages, expanding eligibility to hotels and tour operators.
• Extend tax deductions for domestic travel and MICE events.
• Reduce excise tax on jet fuel to lower domestic airfares and increase frequency on domestic routes.

Boosting Thai identity

• Promote “Thainess” through hospitality campaigns encouraging locals to be warm, helpful hosts, reinforcing the national brand and local character.

2. Medium- and long-term measures (via the National Tourism Policy Committee)

The private sector proposes structural reforms across six areas:

1. Strengthening national risk-management frameworks
2. Modernising tourism-related laws
3. Upgrading standards for tourism products, services, infrastructure and accessibility, especially in secondary cities
4. Supporting private-sector investment to increase competitiveness
5. Promoting investment in new high-value attractions
6. Building a refreshed, aspirational brand for Thailand as a global destination

Industry groups warned that failure to urgently rebuild confidence and accelerate tourism development could see Thailand downgraded from a “top destination” to merely “one of several options” for future travellers.