NEW YORK, USA – Minister of Tourism and Sports Surasak Phancharoenworakul has presented a strategic vision for the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Americas division, aiming to attract 1.5 million American tourists by 2027 under the “Value over Volume” strategy. The Minister delivered the directive during a policy meeting on September 17, 2026, at the new TAT New York office. Attendees included TAT Board Chairman Natthriya Thaweevong, TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, and directors from the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles branches. The agency will focus on high-spending travelers seeking quality experiences, with specific attention to luxury travelers, wellness enthusiasts, gastronomy tourists, sports fans, Millennials, Generation Z, multi-generational families, and the LGBTQ+ community.
To encourage travel, TAT is leveraging film tourism and set-jetting trends linked to international productions filmed in Thailand, including The White Lotus Season 3, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Alien: Earth, and The Challenge Season 42. Campaigns will showcase Thailand’s cuisine, wellness offerings, cultural heritage, and natural attractions. The strategy emphasizes building partnerships with airlines and tour operators to align with American travel preferences and support sustainable industry growth.
Thailand welcomed over 1.08 million American visitors in 2025, the second consecutive year surpassing one million arrivals. These visitors averaged 14.59 nights per stay and spent about 69,415 baht per trip. As of September 15, 2026, arrivals from the United States total 716,983. After the meeting, officials and Team Thailand representatives, including New York Consul-General Somjai Taphaopong, attended a Buddhist merit-making ceremony led by the abbot of Wat Buddha Thai Thavorn Vanaram. The ceremony marked the official opening of the new TAT New York office and its 61st anniversary. Established on May 15, 1965, the office has played a vital role in promoting Thai tourism in the United States for over six decades. (NNT)
