In the wake of both the Chinese and Russian tourist taps being turned off, Thai tourism officials are planning to travel to Saudi Arabia with a goal of attracting 200,000-500,000 Middle Eastern tourists to Thailand this year.
The Thai tourism ministry and Tourism Authority frequently run travel roadshows around the world as part of an ongoing marketing program to psh Amazing Thailand to a wider audience.
Last month, a Thai government spokesperson said the Tourism Minister had aimed for one million Middle Eastern tourists by the end of 2022. Thailand is also hoping to see one million Saudi tourists next year.
Now, Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister says he plans to promote medical check-ups in Thailand to Saudi officials during his trip there. The minister says he has high hopes about the response by Saudi officials. He will also invite Deputy PM Anutin. The minister said the ministry expects to make around 3 trillion baht in 2024, 2 trillion from foreign tourists, and 1 trillion from Thais.
Another Middle Eastern country the minister hopes to tap into for tourism is the United Arab Emirates. Tourists from the Middle East spend on average almost 90,000 per person during their trips to Thailand. European tourists, on the other hand, spend about 70,000 baht per person on Thailand trips.
Thailand and Saudi arabia restarted direct flights with each other in February after decades of hostile relations. When the first flight of Saudi tourists arrived in Bangkok, the Tourism Authority of Thailand greeted them at Suvarnabhumi Airport with traditional performances and a water salute.
The TAT plans a new marketing campaign for this year called “Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters”. The campaign will promote 3 main types of tourism in Thailand… medical tourism, beaches and shopping.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
