Thailand’s tourism operators question 40 million visitors target

The government’s ambitious target of attracting 40 million foreign visitors is viewed as daunting by Thailand tourism operators, considering factors such as high travel costs, diminished demand in big markets such as China and Russia, and competition from surrounding nations.

Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, who heads the Association of Chon Buri Tourism Federation, pinpointed the stagnant Chinese market as a significant issue, with only 3.5 million visitors last year, a sharp decline from the nearly 10 million seen in 2019.

In 2023, Thailand recorded roughly 28 million foreign tourists and revenue of 1.2 trillion baht (US$34 billion), falling notably short of the nearly 40 million arrivals and 1.9 trillion baht (US$54 billion) revenue in 2019, reported Bangkok Post.

Thanet suggested a reevaluation of Thailand’s approach to the Chinese market, given the low…