THE number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand throughout this year is expected to rise by 10 per cent to at least 15.5 million, earning the country Bt536 billion ($17 billion) in revenue, according to the Kasikorn Reseach Center.
The Middle East will be a major contributor to this with arrivals to September 2010 at 339,834 an increase of 9.48 per cent from the GCC and Levant countries.
The country expects to close 2010 with double-digit growth from this, already mature, market.
Top regional source markets are Iran with 127,000-plus tourists, the UAE 81,000-plus, followed by Oman and Kuwait with more than 33,000 each and the UAE tops the list for expenditure per trip average.
Zeid Malhas, marketing manager, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Dubai said: “Travel patterns have changed a bit and will change over the next six years due the Holy Month of Ramadan falling during high season which we anticipate will cause a shift in travel behaviour, from longer stays to shorter stays, to more luxurious stays.
“Also Thailand is currently being viewed as a favourite family destination, as well as for honeymoons, due to the increasing numbers of family-oriented resorts and attractions such as Amazon Water World in Pattaya, Splash Jungle in Phuket, Madame Tussauds in Bangkok and many more award-winning shows, such as Siam Niramit, and Phuket Fantasea.”
A new campaign, ‘Amazing Thailand Always Amazes you’, will replace the ‘Amazing Thailand Amazing Value’ programme in 2011. “Thailand remains as a great value destination in all terms but there is also so much to see and explore that continuous amazement, satisfaction and value are always present in every trip” said Malhas.
TAT also has plans to launch a new website with more interaction with travel agents as well as consumers through competitions such as the existing Tales of Thailand and a monthly photographic contest.