The government will increase its tourism offices overseas to promote Thailand among travellers from the US and the Middle East, according to a deputy spokeswoman.

An additional office will open in the US, and one will open in Saudi Arabia.

Rachada Dhnadirek said the government has updated its tourism strategy to meet demands in the international market as part of policies assigned by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has worked to attract long-haul travellers, especially in Europe, the US and the Middle East, and it expects related revenues to hit 1.62 trillion baht by the end of this year, she said.

During the first six months of this year, 2,933,660 travellers from European countries, 620,474 from the US and 231,206 from the Middle East visited Thailand, she said.

Citing TAT data on tourist spending in the first quarter of this year, she said long-haul travellers from Europe, the US and the Middle East spent the largest amounts of money and stayed the longest in Thailand when compared with other foreign visitors.

European travellers spend an average of 19.40 days and 71,718 baht per person per trip in Thailand, with Arab travellers at an average of 16.17 days and 99,172 baht per person per trip and US travellers an average of 15.26 days and 76,297 baht per person per trip.

With an increase in the number of international flights from April to October, the TAT has estimated that 7 million long-haul travellers will visit Thailand this year, bringing 60.6 billion baht to the tourism sector, she said.

She said that the TAT will open a new overseas office in Chicago, making it the third such office in the US, the others being in New York and Los Angeles.

Moreover, another office will be opened in the Saudi capital Riyadh to promote Thailand to Middle Eastern and Northern African tourists, she said.

Source:
courtesy of BANGKOK POST

by MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

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