The Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) called for a major budget increase to boost tourism revenue to a staggering 3.5 trillion baht in 2024, attracting more tourists.
The Thai government is aiming high, with an ambitious goal to lure no fewer than 39 million international tourists to its stunning shores throughout 2024. To achieve this, the TAT is pushing for more funds to collaborate with airlines, creating new flight routes and ensuring a smooth influx of global visitors.
Dubbed the Airline Focus strategy, this plan is pivotal in the post-Covid-19 landscape. Airlines are the lifeblood of international travel, and successful partnerships are essential to reigniting Thailand’s tourism industry.
Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT Deputy Governor for Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Americas market, highlighted the need for additional funding to drive joint promotions with airlines and other stakeholders.
“With the right budgetary support, we are confident we can hit our targets. The recovery trend among airlines is promising, especially from late 2024 to early 2025. We plan to incentivise airlines through joint performance indicators to initiate flights to Thailand.”
Initial funding is crucial to these partnerships. Once airlines establish profitable routes, they can operate independently, minimising the need for further support. Despite past budget constraints, TAT has successfully collaborated with private-sector partners and other agencies to maintain tourism growth.
For long-haul markets, including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, TAT’s strategy encourages airlines to expand routes to both primary and secondary destinations in Thailand. In 2024, TAT aims for long-haul travellers to constitute 30% of all international tourists, contributing 40% of total foreign tourism revenue.
The pandemic shifted travel dynamics significantly. In 2021, as restrictions eased and vaccinations rolled out in Europe, long-haul tourists made up 77% of visitors to Thailand, a dramatic rise from 23% in 2019, reported The Nation.
Looking ahead, Siripakorn revealed plans for new flight routes in both summer and winter schedules for 2024.
“The summer slots for international flights to Thailand in 2024 show 139,324 scheduled flights, a 28% increase compared to 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers. We see significant opportunities in the charter-flight market, which we plan to capitalise on.”
