Following the success of Thailand’s tourism revival this year, officials are planning ahead for an even bigger and better 2023. In July, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) outlined their plan for the future, with a bumper year for tourism revenue just around the corner.
The agency has set a target of 30 million arrivals in 2023, which would bring in an estimated THB 2.38 trillion (US$ 65 billion) in revenue. This drive will be supported by the ongoing ‘Amazing New Chapters’ campaign, which rolled out recently and will cover promotions and partnerships through 2022 and into 2023.
Tourism officials in Thailand are confident they will meet the targets they have set for themselves, especially when Chinese travellers return to the fold. “If the Chinese government allows its citizens to travel, the number of foreign will definitely reach 30 million next year,” explains Yuthasak Supasorn, who is the governor of TAT.
These numbers would represent solid progress on the road to full recovery following the Covid era – the figures forecast for 2023 are approximately 80% of pre-pandemic tourism receipts. TAT expects to be back to its full capacity by 2024, at which point Thailand will have fully recovered and rebooted following the current transition period.
In the first half of this year, Thailand already welcomed around 2 million foreign arrivals. Since then, various entry and quarantine requirements have been either scrapped or relaxed, facilitating greater numbers of arrivals.
According to the Bangkok Post, Thailand is currently welcoming around 30,000 international arrivals every day. Now, with restrictions lifted and interest in the kingdom surging, TAT is targeting at least 10 million international tourists in the second half of the year; a sure sign the sector is recovering well, which will also lay the groundwork for a record-breaking 2023.
