| James Kon in Singapore |
THE Thai tourism industry broke records in revenue and tourist arrivals in 2016.
According to preliminary figures, Thailand recorded tourism revenues of about 1.65 trillion Baht (about 46 billion USD) which was a growth of 13 per cent, and international visitor arrivals of 32.6 million, which was an increase of nine per cent over 2015.
The achievements of Thailand Tourism were revealed by Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand, at the press conference during the Asean Tourism Forum 2017 yesterday.
Speaking at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, he said international visitors had an average length of stay of about four days per person per visit, and their average daily expenditure was 4,200 Baht (115 USD) per person. And the top five destinations in Thailand are Bangkok, Phuket, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Surat Thani.
He said in 2017, Thailand hopes to reach its target of 1.81 trillion Baht (50 billion USD) in international tourism spending, an increase of 10 per cent and 34.5 million overseas travelers, a rise of six per cent from 2016.
Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand, speaks at a press conference. – JAMES KON
In 2017, Thailand plans to shift the structure and direction of the national tourism industry towards a new value-based offer in order to position Thailand as a ‘Preferred Destination,’ he said. In order to achieve this, he said, “We have developed the Tourism 4.0 in line with a national strategy ‘Thailand 4.0’.”
Tourism 4.0, he said, “incorporates two key concepts including ‘Strength from Within’ and ‘Connect to the World’, as a strategy to drive both domestic and international tourism. This strategy means that the Thai tourism industry will be forging closer linkages with other sectors of the Thai economy and society such as culture, education, agriculture, transportation and telecommunications.”
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