B3 trillion tourism target for next year

Tourists at Koh Hong in Phangnga National Park enjoy kayaking offered by locals as part of a community tourism initiative. APINYA WIPATYOTIN

The government aims to achieve 10% growth in tourism income, or roughly 3 trillion baht, next year.

Please join us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning

Govt sets B3 trillion tourism target

POST REPORTERS

The government aims to achieve 10% growth in tourism income, or roughly 3 trillion baht, next year, by rolling out various tourism promotion packages to attract both Thai and foreign tourists to explore new destinations and promote longer stays in Thailand.

The country's tourism income has grown 8% already this year, compared to average annual growth of 3% to 5% per year, according to figures cited by the government and the Thai Tourism Promotion Association (TTPA).

However, the government believes it can better that, and is hatching an ambitious campaign drawing various agencies together to push growth. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government would focus mainly on quality tourism and long-stay tourists, government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Sunday.

Supported by results from international surveys in which Thailand, particularly Bangkok, is seen as a destination worth a longer stay, this direction of tourism promotion is likely to become successful, Lt Gen Sansern said.

"Next year we will emphasise tourism which delves into the Thai way of life, in a campaign called Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018," Lt Gen Sansern said. The promotion will start on Nov 1, 2017 and run until Jan 1, 2019, and will include international tourism-related events.

They include an international ship parade on Nov 18 in Pattaya city in Chon Buri and the Air Race1 Thailand at U-tapao airport in November, he said.

"The PM urges every province to think of its distinctive features in terms of history, local wisdom, culture and so on and present them as selling points for tourists to choose from when deciding where to visit," Lt Gen Sansern said. The PM is also encouraging provinces to form a cluster of tourist destinations that should also be linked to destinations in neighbouring countries, he said.

You can read the full story here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1321927/govt-sets-b3-trillion-tourism-target