Thailand Targets Tourism Surge with Bold 2025 Campaign Initiative

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

Thailand is ambitiously aiming to revamp its tourism sector with a new strategy targeting 3.4 trillion baht (£82 billion) in revenue by 2025. The "Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism Year 2025" campaign is the cornerstone of this vision, designed to attract over 40 million international tourists.

 

Key to the campaign's success is leveraging collaborations with major industry partners like Grab, Agoda, and Thai Airways to promote underexplored destinations. Enhancing connectivity and boosting flight capacities are priorities to establish Thailand as a leading regional tourism hub.

 

Simultaneously, the country is energising domestic tourism with thematic events, notably the Thailand Winter Festivals 2024, which showcases the "7 Wonders of Thailand." By spotlighting cultural celebrations and unique culinary experiences, the government hopes to capture both international and local interests.

 

 

In support of these efforts, the 72 Unique Travel Styles initiative, featuring tailor-made travel routes, aims to channel economic benefits to local communities. Visa reforms, including the introduction of 60-day visa exemptions, expanded e-visa services, and a new Destination Thailand Visa for digital nomads, are poised to ease entry and attract a broader range of visitors.

 

Looking ahead, Thailand plans to simplify its visa system further by 2025, integrating it into an Electronic Travel Authorisation system. The strategy underscores Thailand’s commitment to becoming a top global travel destination while boosting its economic growth.

 

-- 2024-12-10

 

 

[jcmj]

They can’t handle what they have now so next year will be extremely chaotic. 

[kinyara]

43 minutes ago, jcmj said:

They can’t handle what they have now so next year will be extremely chaotic. 

In what respect can't they handle the current level of tourism - 35 million ?

 

The extra 5 million are only likely to come predominantly from China and they are typically short stayers on average. Spread it over 12 months, various locations and 5 days each, it's not that much to absorb. 

 

Personally looking at the continued low number of Chinese this year compared to 2019 levels I don't think they will achieve 40 million in 2025.

[Sydebolle]

Quality over quantity - an old formula which remains valid to this day. Thailand is, like neighbouring Laos and Cambodia, the living proof that they have not understood that message. 

So keep the good work up and attract more zero-dollar tourists, cheap and cheapest South Asians while brainwashing the semi-divine Khon Thai that they are the next best thing besides sliced bread! 

[DonniePeverley]

Absolutely ridiculous, and things are getting way too stupid now with mass over tourism.

 

They are preoccupied and obssessed with arbirtary number of tourists. The don't realise that if Europe, UK, USA, Australia have visa free policies for China, India and other asian countries they would literally be in the hundreds of million visitors. 

 

But those countries, rightly chose QUALITY tourists, at sustainable levels.

 

Already i am seeing locals dismayed at the sheer volume Thailand is letting in. Cheap low quality tourists won't moan much, but high quality tourists will go elsewhere. 

 

An absolute disgrace what they are doing to Thailand. An enviromental disaster too. 

[JoeyMac]

We've seen protests in Europe and other asian countries to stop over tourism from the locals. I was in Japan and locals were furious. Same in many SPanish and Italian cities. 

 

I give it a year before the locals start to get annoyed and protest. 

 

You simply can't have this number of people visiting, it is not sustainable. 

[DonniePeverley]

7 hours ago, kinyara said:

In what respect can't they handle the current level of tourism - 35 million ?

 

The extra 5 million are only likely to come predominantly from China and they are typically short stayers on average. Spread it over 12 months, various locations and 5 days each, it's not that much to absorb. 

 

Personally looking at the continued low number of Chinese this year compared to 2019 levels I don't think they will achieve 40 million in 2025.

 

 

What is the obsession with numbers? What happens if they reach 40 million, then what?

 

Surely the aim is to seek quality tourists. Not this nonsensical theory to just let EVERYONE enter and make up for the shortfall in quality tourists. It's wreckless.

 

 

Do those in charge even holiday in Thailand? 

[mokwit]

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

aims to channel economic benefits to local communities

Tourists want to see what they want to see, not what brings economic benefit to some uninteresting place.

[kinyara]

2 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

What is the obsession with numbers? What happens if they reach 40 million, then what?

 

Surely the aim is to seek quality tourists. Not this nonsensical theory to just let EVERYONE enter and make up for the shortfall in quality tourists. It's wreckless.

 

 

Do those in charge even holiday in Thailand? 

 

Economic forecasting is normal in all countries, governments rely on it as part of their overall financial/policy planning. Tourism is obviously one of the larger sectors here so gets more focus and reporting.

 

Thailand does seek and cater to quality tourists, however in my view it has always been a primarily a mass market destination. The government relies on it to absorb a labour force of limited skills and education.