Tourism Authority of Thailand to focus on wealthy tourists

July 11, 2012 | 6:17 am

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has vowed to increase revenue from the luxurious market over the next three years to 25 % of the 2 trillion baht total projected for 2015.

Last year, income from first class travellers accounted for 18 % of an approximated 19.2 million visitors. Travellers considered medium class and mass market represent 37 % and 45 % of the total, respectively. Tourists are considered first class if they spend an average of 6,000 baht per day per head, above the 4,000 baht of those in the mass market. Improving revenue from premium travellers is one manner the government wishes to achieve its challenging objective of 2 trillion baht by 2015 in comparison with 1.25 trillion baht estimated this year.

Tourists

TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni said his agency will implement more action plans that emphasis on rendering tourism revenue rather than increasing the number of tourist arrivals.

He said TAT directors from 27 countries and 35 local offices are meeting in Khao Yai this week to brainstorm and draft an action plan for next year. “To meet the target, we have to increase the average annual revenue growth rate to 10 % each year from 7-8 %,” he said.

Mr Suraphon noted Thailand’s tourism industry must improve its tourism destinations to support more travellers in the high end markets such as family and environmentally friendly journeys. Apart from keeping existing markets such as the UK, he said the plan will consider other markets such as South Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Ettore Trentiro