The Thai tourism industry must adopt a supply-driven strategy to enhance its competitiveness, according to the former governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The TAT outlined its marketing direction for 2025, aiming to increase revenue by 7.5% from 2024, targeting 39 million foreign arrivals and 205 million domestic trips. This figure is a revision from the 220 million trips projected last week.

 

Current TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool emphasised the need to rebrand Thai tourism for 2025 towards high value and sustainability, focusing on quality spending and generating income in new destinations.

 

Yuthasak Supasorn, former TAT Governor and now chairman of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), believed the TAT should prioritise developing tourism supply to improve competitiveness as well as the country’s ranking in the tourism development index.”

 

Yuthasak recently addressed the National Institute of Development Administration’s Graduate School of Tourism Management. He reported that foreign arrivals reached 17.5 million in the first half of the year, aligning with the Bank of Thailand’s forecast for a low tourism recovery.

 

Thailand’s position on the World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Development Index plummeted to 47th from 36th, highlighting a significant decline in tourism competitiveness. Regionally, Thailand ranked 10th in the Asia-Pacific and fourth in Southeast Asia, trailing Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

 

Neighbouring countries like Indonesia have excelled in areas such as natural resources and travel and tourism demand sustainability, securing top 10 rankings. In comparison, Thailand ranked 106th in travel and tourism socio-economic impact and 102nd in safety and security, the lowest among Southeast Asian countries, underscoring the urgency to enhance tourist safety.

 

 

Thai tourism

 

“If the tourism industry wants to maintain its competitiveness, all sectors must work together.”

 

Yuthasak also called for improvements in safety, infrastructure upgrades, and the development of sustainable tourism practices aligned with environmental, social, and governance principles.

 

Yuthasak advocated for a stronger supply side to attract high-quality tourists and distribute income fairly among local communities, both in major and secondary cities. He stressed the importance of ensuring safety and ease of travel to enhance the customer experience from the outset of their journey, ensuring fair treatment for both local and international visitors.

 

Yuthasak also recommended that all destinations and businesses prioritise sustainability in their tourism growth strategies, balancing environmental, economic, and social considerations in the present and long term, and updating laws and regulations that impede sustainable growth, reported Bangkok Post.

 

“If these actions were mutually committed, along with a direction to grow the number of quality tourists without focusing too much on volume, I’m confident Thailand’s tourism industry will become more resilient with strength in value and revenue for the whole sector.”

 

By Bright Choomanee

Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-07-17

 

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56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The Thai tourism industry must adopt a supply-driven strategy to enhance its competitiveness

 

Does he mean that they should focus on what they can supply, rather than what people want?  That's what "supply-driven" appears to mean.

 

BS 

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Current TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool emphasised the need to rebrand Thai tourism for 2025 towards high value and sustainability, focusing on quality spending and generating income in new destinations.

Just like Pai ??

Disgusting mass tourism, attracting only cheap tourists is a disgusting policy. 

He's certainly talking a lot, he seems to have just read a book on best business operations....'supply-driven strategy' is a term that has stuck with him, western 'business speak' sounds so important, designed to impress and confuse his colleagues who only want to know where they can scrape a little cream off the top.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

sustainable tourism practices aligned with environmental, social, and governance principles.

And so a significant difference when compared to Indonesia.

Thailand's tourism has been aligned with more than a decade of undemocratic principles with little regard or respect to Thai people's sovereignty and needs of the Thai society as a whole. 

Never being one to miss a trick, I am surprised that TAT hasn't started an advertising campaign, aimed at all those tourists being deterred from going to some European countries by the local "We don't want you" demonstrations. 

There has never been any sort of strategy, they are purely driven by numbers arriving at the gate...

2 hours ago, phetphet said:

Never being one to miss a trick, I am surprised that TAT hasn't started an advertising campaign, aimed at all those tourists being deterred from going to some European countries by the local "We don't want you" demonstrations. 

 

They're probably thinking, "They've finally wised up to how bad foreigners are and how they are to blame for all the ills of a country".