A street in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: AP)Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and
Sports plans to use 600 million BTH (16 million USD) from its central budget to promote tourism
during the high season as fiscal 2024 budget disbursement is expected to be
delayed until April next year.
Minister of
Tourism and Sports Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said the
proposed budget will be allocated to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
for its promotions, starting from the fourth quarter this year through to the
first quarter of 2024.
Major promotion projects
include Amazing Thailand Passport Privileges, which requires 150 million baht
to promote the country as a preferred shopping destination, while another 150
million is allotted for marketing campaigns for all international markets.
Around 200
million baht will go to the Thailand Festival Experience campaign, promoting
large festivals across five regions.
The
remainder will be dedicated to a domestic campaign called “The Link Local to Global” that is
meant to boost cross-regional trips, she said.
According to Sudawan,
those projects can be tied to several important festivals
during the high season, including Loy Krathong, the New Year Countdown and
Chinese New Year, and even extended to the Songkran holiday in April.
She said the ministry submitted its
proposal to the Cabinet Secretariat and it is awaiting approval from the
cabinet.
The ministry also discussed the possibility of allowing people to use
money from their 10,000-baht digital wallet, scheduled to be introduced in
February, for tourism spending./.
VNA
