The government has initiated a major campaign to enhance tourism in its 55 second-tier provinces, seeking to increase their share of national tourism revenue from 20% to 30%. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced this new strategy following a comprehensive brainstorming session involving nine ministries, the Royal Thai Police, and two additional agencies.
The TAT has outlined a target of achieving 330 billion baht in annual tourism revenue from these provinces, a considerable boost given that the total tourism revenue for 2024 is projected at 1.2 trillion baht. To achieve this goal, the TAT has developed a five-point plan titled “Ignite Tourism Thailand.” The strategies include upgrading restaurants and basic infrastructure, enhancing tourist destinations and their surroundings, developing products and services tailored to tourist demands, promoting tourism through local traditions and narratives, and improving public transportation links throughout the provinces.
These measures were discussed in a session that saw participation from key stakeholders across various sectors, including the ministries of defense, tourism and sports, transport, natural resources and environment, commerce, interior, culture, public health, and industry. The proposals generated from this session are set to be forwarded to the National Tourism Policy Committee for final approval and budget allocation for the coming fiscal year. (NNT)
