Thailand: Number of tourists in this year's Q1 projected at 7.55 million

[webfact]

Number of tourists in this year's Q1 projected at 7.55 million

BANGKOK, 13 Jan 2015 (NNT) - President of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) Ittirit Kinglek has projected the number of tourists in the 1st quarter of this year at 7.55 million.

Mr. Ittirit indicated that last year’s number of foreign visitors was forecasted at 24.71 million, a decrease from the year earlier by 6.93%, but said this year’s overall figure could reach 28.36 million, generating about 1.29 trillion baht from foreign travelers and 800 billion baht locally.

The TCT President said the projection is viable given that the tourism industry is expanding without any hiccups, adding that the growth of the Chinese tourists would play a key role in achieving the target. He remarked however that a fall in the number of European visitors would be the Kingdom’s biggest threat to the 2015 tourism performance right along with the global economy.

Mr. Ittirit said that other deciding factors include the fluctuations in the local and international economy, politics, and the arrival of the ASEAN Economic Community.

The TCT President also recommended the Government create strong confidence in the tourism sector through the Digital Economy for Tourism Project, the Tourism Labor Development Projects, the Halal Tourism Project, and the Regional Network Development Project.


-- NNT 2015-01-13

[Thailand]

Really?

[NeverSure]

Must be Monday Tuesday.

[ChrisY1]

"The TCT President also recommended the Government create strong confidence in the tourism sector through the Digital Economy for Tourism Project, the Tourism Labor Development Projects, the Halal Tourism Project, and the Regional Network Development Project."

A good start would be to raise budget airline prices............!!

[Crazy chef 1]

...and 73.657% will visit Koh Tao....

[Valentine]

IMO if the numbers increase because of the Chinese the revenue will not flow through to the small business operators as the tour companies keep the Chinese pretty much under lock & key as to where they go. I would say there is only a select few who control this market including the hotels where they stay, the places they visit & the restaurants where they are taken to eat. It could well be that revenue is actually less.

It will be so wonderful to have the hordes of Chinese tourists yelling & screaming at each other in order to make sure they are heard not to mention the numerous fights on airlines.

[Pib]

The TCT is just pulling projections out of their backside dark hole for press releases. And the number they picked this time is a 15% increase as going from 24.71M to 28.36M tourists is almost exactly a 15% increase. It's a "wish" projection more than anything else. Standby for the next backside dark hole projection in a month or so.

[DKUNPUTAF713]

"The TCT President also recommended the Government JUNTA create strong confidence in the tourism sector through the Digital Economy for Tourism Project, the Tourism Labor Development Projects, the Halal Tourism Project, and the Regional Network Development Project."

C'mon guys/gals if you folks are going to report then give correct information!!

[SinCityGr8One]

Most business owners feel one of two ways about projections. Either they feel projections are worthless because they cannot predict the future, or they feel projections are a mechanism to make radically optimistic assumptions that are not grounded in reality. These attitudes lead to meaningless planning activities for the future. Projections from Government Officials are like wishful thinking, hoping in the end, the data they had analyzed and also by reviewing previous history will enable them to hit the mark or come close to it. And, if their conclusions had been somewhat satisfactory, they will hopefully remain in your employed position until the next Quarterly projection is due. Or placed in an inactive position and see their replacement waiting in the Wings! Tea leaves, crystal balls, good luck amulets, palm readings anyone!

[webfact]

Tourist arrivals to rise over 28 million this year



BANGKOK: -- Thailand's tourist arrivals this year are expected to increase to 28.36 million from 24.71 million last year.

The positive recovery of the country’s tourism sector was forecasted by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) after predicting good sign in the first quarter of 2015.

TCT president Ittirit Kinglek stated that
tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year is expected to reach 7.55 million.

He said TCT forecasted last year’s tourist arrivals at 24.71 million, a decrease from the year earlier by 6.93%.

But he expressed optimism that this year’s overall arrivals could reach 28.36 million, generating about 1.29 trillion baht from foreign travelers and 800 billion baht locally.

The TCT president said the projection is viable given that the tourism industry is expanding without any disruption.

He pointed out that the growth of the Chinese tourists would play a key role in achieving the target.

However he said a fall in the number of European visitors could pose threat to the 2015 tourism performance as well as the global economy.

Other factors include the fluctuations in the local and international economy, politics, and the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tourist-arrivals-rise-28-million-year


-- Thai PBS 2015-01-13

[NeverSure]

It must be the high season. TCT is smoking something.

[Just1Voice]

I want some of whatever they are drinking or smoking!!

[Rob8891]

Oh purleeeeese! One minute it's "Waaaaah! Tourist numbers are down down down"......and the next it's "Woohoo...numbers are going up up up."

TCT really should move beyond playing with their yoyos when writing these tedious, contradictory reports and join the real world.

Pure poo.

[tomacht8]

My numbers astrologer projected (with the help from tarott cards and a glas ball) the number of tourists in this year's Q1 for Thailand at 5.67 million.

So what?

[ttthailand]

Say what the boss wants to hear and everyone is happy, Thainess.

When the numbers are not there at the end of the year no one will be held accountable anyhow....

Edited January 13, 2015 by ttthailand

[ldiablo]

You can make all the projections you want. Not going to happen this year. These yahoos are so full of ....

Edited January 13, 2015 by ldiablo

[phuketrichard]

guess they dont get out of their offices much.

tourism seems down here in phuket

that is based on number of people in the malls and on the beach plus number of bus's /cars on the roads

[Bocking]

Quote: "The TCT president said the projection is viable given that the tourism industry is expanding without any disruption".

It’s just a murder investigation ... move along nothing to see here

It’s just a rather complex case of suicide ... move along nothing to see here

It’s just a spuriously damaged jet-ski ... move along nothing to see here

It’s just a minor stabbing incident ... move along nothing to see here

It’s just blanket surveillance of electronic media ... move along nothing to see here

It’s just a pretend closure of the Grand Palace ... move along nothing to see here

It’s just a wristband for you your own protection ... move along nothing to see here

[berybert]

Thailand Q1 tourist prediction is 7.55 million. At the start of Q2 we will find out Q1 was just 5 million, but not to worry as Q2's predicted number is 9.7 million therefore covering the lesser numbers from Q1.

Anon.

[FangFerang]

Thems is some very unattractive she backpackers in the picture! The one on the left thinks sunglasses are slimming, the one on the right looks like she had two pizzas for breakfast and washed it down with a diet soda, and the one in the center background looks like a refugee from some eighties band (or an escapee from the Flock of Seagulls Reformatory School for Hermaphrodites).

I bet they are just the quality tourists we can expect for the next several cycles. Woo hoo! Bring on the ten gram Viagras lads!

[kaiyaibob]

"The TCT president said the projection is viable given that the tourism industry is expanding without any disruption"

Excuse me...run that buy me again....Tourist murder, harassment, rampant corruption, martial law...non of these impact the tourist industry....really??

Edited January 13, 2015 by kaiyaibob

[ldnguy]

guess they dont get out of their offices much.

tourism seems down here in phuket

that is based on number of people in the malls and on the beach plus number of bus's /cars on the roads

Phuket isn't Thailand. I've seen more tourists in Bangkok over the last few weeks than at any other time in the last 5 years.

Don't forget that tourist numbers are counted as arrivals in the country. Arrive in Bangkok, stay a day and then fly to Malaysia and that's a tourist. Spend 2 weeks in Phuket and it's a tourist. These are tourist numbers not total number of days. So you could get more tourist arrivals but less people per day in places like Phuket. You can' judge a country by one town, which is what you seem to be doing.

Numbers don't look too optimistic to me. With all the troubles last year tourist numbers held up quite well. There's no reason to think they won't rise this year. Lots of marketing going on, which you don't see if you're in Thailand. Plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Posters on here think the authorities don't know what they're talking about, but then make dumb comments themselves, without anything to back up what they're saying.

Thailand is hugely popular and will continue to be. I know plenty of people that plan to come this year.

[wilcopops]

"the projection is viable given that the tourism industry is expanding without any hiccups,"

Really?so the continuation of martial law isn't a hiccough nor the murders and hangings on Koh Tao?

One thing in it's favour though is the almost total lack of regulation or consideration for planning or the environment.

[wilcopops]

"the projection is viable given that the tourism industry is expanding without any hiccups,"

Really?so the continuation of martial law isn't a hiccough nor the murders and hangings on Koh Tao?

One thing in it's favour though is the almost total lack of regulation or consideration for planning or the environment.

[kotsak]

TAT change their numbers faster than a hoe changes her undies..

[jamesbrock]

So tourists only spend ~45,000 baht each?

[kurnell]

If there are that many coming then perhaps Thais should take better care of them SO THAT THEY COME BACK!!

[kannot]

"The TCT President also recommended the Government create strong confidence in the tourism sector through the Digital Economy for Tourism Project, the Tourism Labor Development Projects, the Halal Tourism Project, and the Regional Network Development Project."

A good start would be to raise budget airline prices............!!

And stab tourists to death!

[UncleE]

Hmmm. As the owner of properties around Thailand, I have to sort of agree with Phuket Richard. Things seem to be very negative. But maybe Bangkok is better since it's the most civilized part of Thailand. The overall situation in Phuket started off great after the coup, but they have failed to finish the job. Same goes for everywhere in Thailand. And most of the folks who were regular visitors over many years were already waiting for a reason to try something new. It'll be a wait and see if they come back story.

[JAG]

Bangkok is the "most civilised part of Thailand"?????