Thailand's Tourism Authority wants more money from high-end travelers

Source: Bangkok Post
Author: Chadamas Chinmaneevong

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

Last year, income from quality travellers accounted for 18% of an estimated 19.2 million visitors. Travellers considered medium class and mass market represent 37% and 45% of the total, respectively.

Tourists are considered quality if they spend an average of 6,000 baht per day per head, above the 4,000 baht of those in the mass market.

Increasing revenue from premium travellers is one way the government hopes to achieve its ambitious objective of 2 trillion baht by 2015 compared with 1.25 trillion baht estimated this year.

TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni said his agency will implement more action plans that focus on generating 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% per 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.