The Tourism Authority of Thailand has set a target of welcoming 35 million international visitors in 2024, but experts in the country say it will only reach 32 million.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said on November 28 that it will continue to promote the country as one of the world's most popular tourist destinations and aims to welcome 8.2 million Chinese visitors out of a total of 35 million international visitors by 2024.
Experts say TAT will face great challenges in achieving this ambitious target as the world economy faces recession next year.
Kasem Prunratanamala, head of research at CGS-CIMB Securities Thailand, is skeptical about the government’s target. Kasem still forecasts 27 million visitors this year but has lowered his 2024 forecast from 36 million to 32 million.
Kasem pointed out that Thailand's tourist attraction programs have not met expectations. The visa exemption policy from September 25 to February 29, 2024 for Chinese visitors to stimulate demand during peak seasons has not attracted many visitors. In October, Thailand welcomed an average of 9,500 Chinese visitors per day, equal to 31% of the 30,100 visitors per day in 2019. In 2023, about 3 million Chinese visitors will come to Thailand, while the TAT's target this year is to welcome 4 million visitors.
Kasem also said that with the shooting at Siam Paragon shopping mall in early October, it will be difficult for Thailand to welcome a sharp increase in Chinese tourists in the fourth quarter.
Tourists visit the Thai Grand Palace in Bangkok. Photo: Reuters
TAT explained that the reason for the low number of Chinese visitors is because the Beijing government is focusing on stimulating domestic tourism. Instead of choosing international flights, Chinese people have switched to supporting domestic tourism. "The number of flights from China is still 40% lower than before the pandemic, but this is not the main reason for the slow recovery of the Chinese tourist market," Kasem added.
TAT aims to welcome 25-30 million international visitors this year and 35 million in 2024, an 87% recovery from 2019. For domestic tourism, TAT expects 160 million trips this year and 200 million trips next year. Total domestic and international tourism revenue is expected to increase from $66 billion this year to $85 billion in 2024, on par with 2019 when Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million international visitors.
Anh Minh (According to Bangkok Post )
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