Still, to attract more tourists to Thailand in the short term, she suggested that the Thai government host or organise a variety of events, such as world-class artist concerts.
She cited Taiwanese singer Jay Chou’s December 2023 concert in Bangkok, which drew thousands of international fans to Thailand.
Noting that Trip.com is now planning to promote more of Thailand’s nightlife and secondary cities, Sun emphasised the importance of ensuring tourist safety, which is one of their top priorities when deciding which country to visit.
Her comments came as Prime Minister Srettha promised to grow the country’s economy in a variety of ways, including facilitating international organisers to hold concerts or conferences in Thailand, even if the government has to sponsor the events.
Meanwhile, the government has recently pledged to improve its security backend system, database, and law enforcement to ensure tourist safety.
While agreeing that Thailand’s soft power will be important in adding more meaningful value to the country’s tourism industry, Sittiwat Chiwarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), believes it would be preferable to allow more private sector involvement.
He emphasised that because everything related to soft power will improve Thailand’s image, discussing with local entrepreneurs at the planning level rather than simply asking for cooperation will help explore the best solution to promote one soft power that is appropriate for each local context.
The comment is consistent with the Tourism Council of Thailand, which recently proposed three strategic practical frameworks to promote the country’s tourism nationwide and increase tourist spending per capita.
The council president, Chamnan Srisawat, pointed out that Thailand’s local soft power would play an important role in levelling up the country’s tourism industry to increase time spent in Thailand and spending per capita.
However, for soft power to truly benefit the country, local entrepreneurs must be engaged.
According to Euromonitor International’s recent World’s Top 100 City Destinations in 2023 survey, consumers are increasingly looking for value-for-money travel propositions when booking travel. This, in turn, will increase consumer demand for intraregional travel, particularly since travel purchases are often discretionary.
“Travellers will continue to favour authentic and local experiences in addition to sustainable tourism alternatives,” the report said.
