It claims that, focussing on the “rich groups”, 1.93 trillion baht will be generated in 2024 even though the number of tourists will be fewer than in the past years. The TAT said this week that it plans to target ‘ wealthy tourists‘ as it works out its marketing plan as it contributes to the recovery the Thai economy following a 2 year hiatus due to closed borders and restrictions. In pre-Covid travel trends, 2019 for example, there was an average of 3.3 million international arrivals each month. Meanwhile global headwinds, including inflation, rising fuel (and therefore air ticket) prices, looming recessions in leading economies and, locally, the lingering Thailand Pass and remaining restrictions. The predictions presume a lot of things falling to the advantage of Thailand and people suddenly wanting to return to the Land of Smiles. But the TAT have been over-predicting tourist arrivals since the borders started re-opening in 2020, sometime over-estimating arrival numbers by 5-10 times the actual numbers that eventually arrived. Even if Thailand were to welcome 1 million international arrivals next month (unlikely to say the least), only 60-70% of them would be actual tourists. But the prediction of 1 million tourists in the month of June won’t happen.
