thai tourism ministry

Thailand’s tourism ministry plans workshop to become global hub by 2030

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports in Thailand is gearing up to host a workshop aimed at transforming the country into a global tourism hub by 2030 . Both public and private sectors are invited to participate in the workshop, scheduled for mid-March, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expected to present comprehensive strategic plans.

Thailand’s vision to ignite its global standing across eight sectors, including tourism , was recently announced by the prime minister. Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol has now instructed all associated agencies of the Ministry to conduct a practical workshop on realising this vision.

“The objective is to gather insights on what needs to be done to achieve this goal, formulate strategic plans and have the prime minister declare them in March. The aim is in line with Srettha’s plan to also establish Thailand as an aviation hub,” stated Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Organisations across the tourism spectrum have been invited to participate, including the Tourism Department, Thailand Privilege Card Co, the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. Aviation-related alliances such as the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, the Airports Department, Airports of Thailand Plc and U-Tapao Airport’s management committee are also expected to attend, reported Bangkok Post .

The workshop will address a range of topics, including developing main and secondary cities into tourist destinations, leveraging soft power to expand tourism across all provinces, positioning Thailand as an international host for global festivals, and creating new tourist destinations. It will also discuss an ASEAN One Visa Free policy, similar to the EU, and the elimination of regulatory obstacles to tourism.

“To realise this vision, it requires more than just TAT. It necessitates the cooperation of all sectors. Everyone has a role to play, from provincial governors, local administrative organisations, provincial administrative organisations, tambon administrative organisations, companies to locals. We must work together to prepare each city to become a tourist destination. Following that, TAT will then promote these areas to tourists,” Thapanee elaborated.

The story Thailand’s tourism ministry plans workshop to become global hub by 2030 as seen on Thaiger News .

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Thailand attended ASEAN–Japan Tourism Ministers’ Special Dialogue

Thai tourism minister highlighted thailand’s sustainable tourism initiatives and pledged further cooperation on sustainable tourism developments with other asean countries and japan..

Bangkok, 2 November 2023 – Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Ms. Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, together with the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, led a Thai delegation to attend the ASEAN-Japan Tourism Ministers’ Special Dialogue, which was held on 28 October 2023, in Tokyo.

In her address at the meeting, Minister Sudawan said “Thailand recognises the importance of sustainable tourism and has been launching a range of strategic initiatives towards this direction. Some of these projects could be expanded for implementation on the regional level to ensure sustainable tourism development and practice for both the tourist attractions, local communities, and businesses.”

She highlighted some ongoing sustainable tourism initiatives Thailand had been implementing. These include the efforts to elevate the tourism supply to achieve international standards, the promotion of emerging destinations for a better distribution of tourists, the focus on medical and wellness tourism, which is poised to continue experiencing robust growth, and the implementation of digital transformation to elevate the Thai tourism industry’s competitiveness.

Minister Sudawan also engaged in several bilateral meetings.

The meeting with Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Mr. Tetsuo Saito discussed possible tourism cooperation on sustainable tourism, community-based tourism, and the promotion of emerging destinations. The discussion also covered the plan to form a special working committee between Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Japan’s Transport and Tourism Research Institute ASEAN-India Regional Office.

An update on Thailand’s directions towards tourism promotions in ASEAN in the areas of Regional Tourism Standards, Tourism for All, Stakeholders’ Participation, and Human Resources Development was delivered during the session with ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn.

In addition, there was a discussion to explore the opportunities for Thailand to take part in tourism activities initiated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) during Minister Sudawan’s meeting with OECD Deputy Secretary-General Mr. Yoshiki Takeuchi.

The ASEAN-Japan Tourism Ministers’ Special Dialogue was co-chaired by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan and the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (as the Chair of the Meeting for the ASEAN Tourism Ministers (M-ATM)) to commemorate the 50 th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, and to discuss the “Next 50 Years with ASEAN and Japan: Designing the Path to Sustainable Tourism Together”.

In the joint media statement released after the talks, tourism ministers from ASEAN and Japan pledged to promote sustainable tourism and advance mutual exchanges.

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Thailand’s Tourism Ministry Aims to Boost Tourism in Secondary Cities

PRESS RELEASE:

(NNT) – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is eyeing the promotion of tourism in secondary cities.

Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol announced plans to enhance tourism in Thailand’s secondary cities. This initiative aligns with the Prime Minister’s policy to broaden tourist attractions beyond the primary hotspots.

Provinces like Nong Bua Lamphu and Kanchanaburi, rich in points of interest, are targeted for increased exposure to both local and international visitors. The Ministry’s objective for 2024 is to boost the average spending of tourists, which currently stands at about 43,000 baht per trip, with an average stay of 9 days.

To achieve this, the Ministry will host various promotional activities, including light and sound events in secondary cities. These events are designed to encourage tourists to extend their stays, not only in these cities but also in nearby attractions. The readiness of accommodations is key to this promotion strategy, which isn’t confined to border provinces.

For instance, tourists from Malaysia frequently visit not only Southern border provinces but also Bangkok and Northern Thailand.

Addressing the decline in Chinese tourists, the Minister noted a noticeable decrease this year. However, the rise in visitors from other nations calls for a shift in market focus. While there are no current plans to extend free visa policies, the Ministry is considering increasing the duration of stay for European tourists, with a 30-day visit currently deemed sufficient.

The preceding is a press release from the Thai Government PR Department.

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Thailand Leads Push for Six-Nation Visa to Lure Moneyed Tourists

(Bloomberg) -- Thailand is steering an initiative for a joint-visa program with countries that together hosted about 70 million tourists last year as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ramps up initiatives to attract more long-haul and high-spending travelers. 

Srettha — who’s pledged to elevate Thailand’s status as a tourism hotspot into an aviation and logistics hub — has discussed the Schengen-type visa idea with his counterparts in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam in recent months. The facility is meant to ensure seamless mobility for travelers among the six neighboring countries.

READ: Srettha Unveils Plans to Revive Thai Tourism, Build EV Hub

With most leaders positively responding to the single-visa concept, tourism-reliant Thailand aims to generate more revenue per traveler and cushion its economy from headwinds such as sluggish exports and weak global demand that’s hurt its manufacturing industry.

The six Southeast Asian nations reported a combined 70 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, according to official data . Thailand and Malaysia accounted for more than half of the tally, generating about $48 billion in tourism revenue.

The single-visa is the most-ambitious among Srettha’s lineup of tourism initiatives but targeted for the long-term. The industry has served the country well, accounting for about 20% of total jobs and making up about 12% to the nation’s $500 billion economy. Barring the pandemic years, tourism has flourished and provided a cushion against a slump in manufacturing and exports, the traditional bulwarks of the economy.

The tourism industry is upbeat, with Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, a former president of the Thai Hotels Association, saying “a common visa could entice long-haul travelers to make an easier decision.” The visa validity will need to be extended to 90 days from the usual 30-day period to make it attractive, she said. 

Srettha’s administration has set a goal of attracting 80 million tourists by 2027. And since taking power about seven months ago, his government has signed a reciprocal visa waiver deal with China — Thailand’s largest market for tourists — and offered temporary visa waivers for travelers from India, Taiwan and Kazakhstan. It’s also mulling a plan to open casinos inside large entertainment complexes and event-based tourism will help the country generate more revenue.

If done right, the benefits of visa-free travel won’t be confined to tourism alone as ease of travel would be a boon for business travelers and trade, according to Bill Barnett, managing director of hospitality and property consultancy C9 Hotelworks.

But a Schengen-type visa, which allows free travel around the border-free zone within Europe, may be an uphill task given Asean’s poor track record in expediting multilateral policy framework and the group’s standing as a talk shop.

“Country by country seems to be the best way to do it,” Barnett said. “Bilateral agreements, where governments are leading the way for this type of thing, make a lot of sense as they are looking outward and not inward.”

For a joint visa scheme, approvals have to be coordinated and the absence of standard immigration criteria among participating nations unlike the European Union can pose challenges, according to Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor at Chulalongkorn University’s political science faculty. Asean, as a grouping is a divided body with a poor immigration record, he said.

With Srettha being neophyte in politics, he may lack the clout to push through the visa proposal, Thitinan said.

“All the various things he’s been trying to do, I see it as picking low-hanging fruits and picking fruits off the ground,” Thitinan said.“Sometimes fruits on the ground are rotten.”

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As Thailand revels in Songkran water fights, tourist hub Samui suffers through drought

The resort island is facing days without running water, even as the country celebrates new year with water fights

A cross Thailand , people are getting ready to take to the streets for a giant water fight to mark the new year. Roads will be lined with vendors selling water pistols, businesses will put out buckets of icy water for refills and no passersby is safe.

What began as a tradition of the Songkran festival to sprinkle water on the hands of elders, in a symbol of cleansing and reverence to mark the new year, has evolved into huge water fights that draw tourists from across the world. But on the tourist resort island of Samui, the water fights and celebrations bely a long running problem: the island is parched. Residents say taps can stop running for days,causing disruption to businesses and daily life.

“The water hasn’t run for two and a half days now,” says Wachirawut Kulaphetkamthorn, who owns a barber shop in Lamai, Samui and has been unable to use his shower. “Last year, the water came every other day, but this week, it hasn’t run for 2-3 days in a row.”

“The restaurant nearby could not open the shop because there was no water.”

Wachirawut has resorted to buying five tanks of water. “I don’t have any backup plan. I think I just need to buy more water when it’s gone. I can’t do anything. I can only complain on Facebook,” he says. One local restaurant owner says he fills his tanks when the water is back on and this can usually see him through the two or three days when the taps dry up. But if the shortages last longer, he is forced to use expensive drinking water.

“The vendor next to my shop, when they don’t have water, they need to change to takeaway orders instead because there’s no water to clean the plates,” says Nat, who asked to give just his nickname. Big hotels are able to pay for private water supplies, which means tourists are unlikely to be affected and water fights will go ahead, according to Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, the president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui. But this all adds an extra financial burden to the sector as it recovers from Covid.

Water on the island is derived from wetland areas, as well as an undersea pipeline that supplies 21,000 cubic metres of water a day, well short of the between 31,000 to 33,000 cubic metres of water needed a day, says Ratchaporn.

Poor planning has meant that infrastructure hasn’t kept up with the number of people migrating to work on the island, or the rapid development of luxury resorts, golf courses and spas that consume large volumes of water.

Ratchaporn says there are hopes a reverse osmosis system, and an additional pipe supplying water from Surat Thani will ease the problem, though, for now, the dry weather is an added problem. Thailand is currently experiencing extreme heat due to the El Niño phenomenon, which is associated with hotter, drier conditions across the region. The Thai public health ministry has warned of the risk of heatstroke during the Songkran period, as temperatures have reached record levels in some areas. Despite the risks, the government hopes this year’s Songkran festival, which marks the Thai new year, will give a much-needed boost to the tourism sector. This year’s celebrations have been extended from the usual three days to three weeks, after the festival was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage event by Unesco. In Samui, businesses are also extending the celebrations to encourage tourists to stay longer, says Ratchaporn, offering events including orchestral concerts and foam parties – which use less water than a traditional water fight.

“It is high season and [Songkran] is also one of the cultural attractions for the period,” says Ratchaporn.

He says businesses and authorities will make sure people have a chance to splash in water – even if this brings added costs.

“Even if we don’t have water. It’s like … Christmas, no matter if you don’t have anything you will at least try to provide your family with a cookie and warm milk.”

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Srettha pushes for tourism in 2nd-tier provinces, longer stays, more spending

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin outlined a shift in his tourism policy to promote second-tier provinces and boost spending by foreign tourists in a meeting at Government House on Wednesday.

The premier told Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) chief Thapanee Kiatphaibool and ministry executives that the goal is to sustain a year-round high tourism season and boost per head, per trip spending by foreign visitors.

He said tourism promotions should also shift from traditional destinations like Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi and Hua Hin.

“Instead, we must stimulate spending in second-tier provinces by promoting their strong points of attraction and create new landmarks,” Srettha said.

“Please join hands to find the points of attraction that can be turned into soft power and promoted in the right direction.”

“I understand they will be tough to find, but I think there are plenty of them out there. It simply needs cooperation between TAT and local administrations to find sight-seeing sites,” Srettha said.

The premier told the meeting that Thailand should be a high-season destination all year round, instead of just during winter months.

“I ask all of you to do your homework and formulate strategies on drawing foreign tourists throughout the year,” Srettha said.

“I want foreign tourists to stay longer and spend more,” he said.

While apologising to the TAT governor for scolding her publicly for failing to meet the target of foreign tourists, he assured her support and urged direct communication.

“Please forgive me if I was too straightforward. I didn’t intend to hurt you and know the issues you and the country are facing,” Srettha said to Thapanee at the meeting.

After issuing the policies at the meeting, the premier also had a private chat with the minister and the TAT governor.

The ministry will submit promotion details for Cabinet consideration, in line with the prime minister’s policy to promote tourism in second-tier provinces, such as Nong Bua Lamphu and Kanchanaburi, she said.

The ministry will also consider holding activities to promote stays in second-tier provinces, such as those along the border.

In addition, it aims to find ways for tourists to spend more than the current rate of 43,000 baht per held per trip, Sudawan added.

While acknowledging that the number of Chinese arrivals did not meet expectations, she expressed optimism about high arrivals from other countries. She also said that she will seek government approval for tourists to be allowed to stay for longer than 30 days per trip.

In a bid to boost the tourism industry, the government approved a temporary exemption for a 30-day stay for Chinese, Indian and Kazakhstan nationals in September. The scheme, which was scheduled to end in February next year, has been extended to May 2024 and now includes Taiwan and Russia nationals.

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₹ 3 cr for overseas campaign" data-reg = "Budget 2024: Tourism ministry allocates ₹ 3 cr for overseas campaign">Budget 2024: Tourism ministry allocates ₹3 cr for overseas campaign

‘Incredible’ no more. Last year too, the budget slashed overseas tourism promotion by a staggering amount

New Delhi: First, the good news. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the interim budget on Thursday that the government would focus on developing new tourist destinations in India, boosting domestic tourism, and promoting spiritual tourism.

Now, the bad news. The tourism ministry has set aside a mere ₹ 3 crore for overseas promotion of India for its 'Incredible India' campaign. The long-running, award-winning campaign—under the sub-head of overseas promotion and publicity and market development assistance—was left by the wayside this year, as the ministry shrank its allocation by 97% from last year's ₹ 100 crore.

The trend for tourism promotion has been declining. Last year, the budget slashed overseas tourism promotion by a staggering amount. The ministry spent just ₹ 89 crore in 2021-22 from its allocated ₹ 524 crore. The amount spent in FY23 further fell to ₹ 15.89 crore, only to rise somewhat in FY24 to ₹ 100 crore.

On the other hand, the ministry—headed by Gangapuram Kishan Reddy—has lowered its budget estimate from last year’s ₹ 2,400 crore to ₹ 2,080.03 crore for FY25, even though that is still a 22% increase from the ₹ 1,692 crore it actually spent. More than two thirds of the FY25 allocation, or ₹ 1,750 crore, has been kept aside for its Swadesh Darshan scheme. This scheme, set up in 2014-15, provides financial assistance to state governments to develop tourism infrastructure.

It has also completely removed the subhead of the 'Champion Services Sector Scheme', which was set up in 2023, for which ₹ 196 crore had been put aside last year. This year, the tourism ministry's Prashad Darshan scheme has been allocated a similar amount as last year, at ₹ 240 crore.

Terming the ₹ 3 crore outlay “hard to believe", Dipak Deva, managing director, Travel Corporation India Ltd, said it was clear that the government will not promote India overseas. “That is as good as nil. The figure has never been this low in any past budget. I would be keen to understand how India will be promoted abroad and how we will take advantage of international travellers wanting to travel to this region," he said.

"In order to get people to come to our country, we have to market ourselves as an interesting tourism destination. If we don't, countries like Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and others will continue to gain. China has a huge reduction in inbound tourism, and this is an excellent opportunity for us. Inbound tourism generated 10 million tourists and $30 billion in earnings prior to covid. This number is yet to be breached," Deva added.

Similarly, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) president Rajiv Mehra told Mint that with foreign offices of India's overseas promotion being closed, many tour operators have removed India from their travel brochures altogether.

"With a mere ₹ 3 crore allotted for overseas promotion, the tourism industry should now forget that the government will spend any money abroad or operate any FAM (familiarization) tours to bring international travel agents in. The only commendable thing this year is that the government has allotted some money for giving loans to states to improve areas in and around monuments, which can drive some tourism," he said.

The finance minister said that the success of organising the G20 meetings in 60 places presented the diversity of India to a global audience. This economic strength has made the country an attractive destination for business and conference tourism. "Our middle class also now aspires to travel and explore. Tourism, including spiritual tourism, has tremendous opportunities for local entrepreneurship. To address the emerging fervour for domestic tourism, projects for port connectivity, tourism infrastructure, and amenities will be taken up on our islands, including Lakshadweep. This will help in generating employment also," she said.

One travel expert said it was good that the country was focused on domestic tourism and could consider Gati Shakti and Swadesh Darshan schemes to help augment the development of new destinations. "The emphasis on domestic tourism is good, including Lakshadweep. However, its whole beauty and strength is very fragile, and development must not compromise the ecology. On the international front, I still feel we need a lot of promotion and marketing, and to neglect it completely will not be in the long-term [interest]," added M.P. Bezbaruah, secretary general of the Hotel Association of India and former tourism secretary in the government.

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