Thailand serves up food tourism push in Amsterdam

Thailand is stepping up its tourism push in Europe by using Thai cuisine as a gateway to travel, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand launching Amazing Thailand Fest 2026 in Amsterdam to promote the country’s food, culture and travel experiences to Dutch and European visitors.

The event, titled Amazing Thailand Fest 2026: The Wholesome Taste of Thai, is being held from June 3-16, 2026, at de Bijenkorf department store in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The luxury department store is part of Central Group.

The campaign is organised by TAT’s marketing communications division in partnership with the Royal Thai Embassy in The Hague and Central Group.

It follows the success of the first edition held at KaDeWe department store in Berlin, Germany, in March 2026.

Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi presided over the opening ceremony on June 5.

TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said the campaign was designed to showcase Thai cuisine, one of Thailand’s most distinctive tourism strengths, while reinforcing the country’s image as a world-class food destination.

She said the Amsterdam edition builds on the strong response from the Berlin event and brings the campaign to a leading retail location that can reach quality Dutch and European shoppers and travellers.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of Thailand and encourage travel, particularly through gastronomy tourism, which has become increasingly popular among Dutch travellers.

TAT also hopes to strengthen Thailand’s competitiveness in international tourism markets by linking food experiences with wider travel inspiration.

Two key activities

TAT is presenting Thai cuisine to international audiences through two main activities.

The first is a Window Display at the front of de Bijenkorf from June 3-16. The display highlights Thai cuisine from the Rattanakosin era, a period when royal court food began to be adapted and enjoyed more widely.

The display is decorated with Thai riverside house-style wooden wall patterns, a view of Wat Arun Ratchawararam, Thai food sets and traditional Thai craftsmanship.

The second activity is a cultural performance and Thai cooking demonstration held from June 5-7 on the fifth floor of the department store.

Visitors are invited to taste Thai food while learning more about destinations across Thailand, connecting “flavour” with real travel inspiration.

During the event, Princess Ubolratana also demonstrated the preparation of Thai dishes, including pomelo salad and pork larb.

The dishes were presented as examples of Thai flavours with health-related qualities, using ingredients such as ginger, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass, which are associated with traditional medicinal benefits.

Thai tourism partners join campaign

The event also features booths from Thai tourism operators and partners, including Blue Elephant Bangkok, Thai Airways International, the Office of Agricultural Affairs to the European Union and travel company representatives.

Their participation is intended to promote Thai tourism products and services, expand market opportunities and encourage more European travellers to visit Thailand.

Dutch market seen as high quality

TAT regards the Netherlands as a quality long-haul tourism market for Thailand. The country ranks among the top 10 European source markets for visitors to Thailand.

From January 1 to May 31, 2026, Thailand welcomed 113,878 visitors from the Netherlands.

Their five most popular destinations in Thailand were Bangkok, Surat Thani, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Phuket. Popular activities among Dutch visitors included eating Thai food, beach activities and visiting historical sites.

TAT expects the number of Dutch visitors to Thailand to reach 259,455 by the end of 2026.