Thai Authority Unveils Strategy to Support 39M Tourists by 2024

[webfact]

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to increase tourism revenue to 3.5 trillion baht in 2024, targeting 39 million international tourists. To achieve this, the TAT is seeking an increased budget for collaborations with airlines, new flight paths, and streamlined tourist influx.

 

This "Airline Focus strategy" is vital in a post-Covid-19 era to revive Thailand's tourism industry. TAT’s Deputy Governor, Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, stressed the importance of extra funding for joint ventures with airlines and stakeholders.

 

He expects the recovery trend among airlines to peak from late 2024 to early 2025 and plans to encourage airlines through joint performance targets to initiate flights to Thailand.

 

 

Initial funding is key for these collaborations. Once profitable routes are established, airlines can operate independently, reducing the need for further backing. Despite past budgetary constraints, TAT has achieved tourism growth through successful collaborations with private-sector partners and other agencies.

 

TAT aims for global travellers from long-distance markets, including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, to make up 30% of all international tourists and 40% of total foreign tourism revenue in 2024.

 

The pandemic has caused a significant shift in travel dynamics. In 2021, 77% of visitors to Thailand came from long-haul destinations, a dramatic increase from 23% in 2019.

 

In the future, Siripakorn announced plans for new flight schedules for summer and winter of 2024. Summer 2024 is expected to see a 28% increase in the number of scheduled flights to Thailand compared to 2023.

 

Picture courtesy: Bangkokbiz news

 

-- 2024-05-22

 

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[Tropicalevo]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

Initial funding is key

 

Please can I have more (money) Mr PM?

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Initial funding is key for these collaborations. Once profitable routes are established, airlines can operate independently,

Is he hinting at subsidising?

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Initial funding is key for these collaborations. Once profitable routes are established, airlines can operate independently, reducing the need for further backing

Then paid back as a government loan (subsidies are not debt instruments) including a sovereign interest rate, ie., T-bill interest rate. But only to airlines currently operating at a profit. 

[Holmsedale25]

How about he looks at using those funds to improve the infrastructure first. All the major tourist cities & islands are gridlocked and becoming a nightmare for local residents both Thai & Expat to just go about their normal daily activities. Pattaya for example, where the traffic is absolutely out of control every weekend (and weekdays more frequently now), with even Grab and Bolt taxis refusing to take business. And splitting some of that money to renovate/refurbish many run-down beauty spots that are, in some cases, in a serious state of disrepair and not something most tourists would be pleased to have spent money visiting. First impressions count and many places of interest would not want you going back or recommending