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THAILAND expected to receive 36 million foreign tourists in 2024 following an improving economy and supportive government policies, according to the Kasikorn Research Center (KResearch).
However, KResearch’s estimate is lower than that of Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which estimates the arrival of around 40 million foreign tourists in 2024, generating tourism revenues of around 2.3 trillion Thai baht (IDR1,007 quadrillion).
The estimate is based on 6.4 million foreign tourist arrivals recorded in the first two months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 50%. The research center estimates that foreign tourist arrivals at the end of the first quarter will reach 9.32 million, up 42.7% compared to last year, and showing positive signs for the rest of the year.
KResearch attributed the surge in foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand’s improving economy, and the government’s short-term and long-term tourism promotion policies.
According to the research data, the most prominent is the visa-free policy implemented since September last year for visitors from China and Kazakhstan, followed by India and Taiwan in November, the center said.
Starting March 1, Thailand and China will permanently eliminate visa requirements for their citizens. Other supporting factors include airlines opening new routes to Thailand and increasing flight frequency.
Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand shows that Thailand enjoyed 34 percent more international flights in January-February compared to the same period last year, or around 68,000 flights, or around 78% of the number of flights recorded in the same period in 2019.
The research center estimates that there will be more flight routes from countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and Scandinavian countries throughout the year, from both normal and low-cost airlines. [sources/photo special]
