The three weeks of this year’s Songkran festival generated about 140 billion baht in tourism income, with 1.9 million foreign tourists visiting the country during the celebration, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
The 21-day long festival from April 1-21 generated 140.335 billion baht in revenue, above the projected figure of 132 billion baht, Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsupakitkosol said on Wednesday. The figures were compiled by the ministry’s economics tourism and sports division.
The accommodation sector benefitted from 42.06 billion baht, food and beverage 33.06 billion baht, merchandise and souvenirs 26.83 billion baht, travel 15.50 billion baht, entertainment 14.75 billion baht, tourism services 5.86 billion baht and other outlays 2.23 billion, Ms Sudawan said.
The atmosphere during the festival was lively with activities held across the country enjoyed by foreign tourists and the many Thais who also travelled and celebrated Songkran.
During the 21 days, a total of 1,926,443 foreign tourists visited the country, an increase of 37.54% on the same period last year, the minister said.
Ms Sudawan attributed the increase in foreign arrivals to the government's measures to make travel easier, such as visa waivers and the cancellation of Tor Mor 6 immigration forms, and the holding of major activities to celebrate the festival.
The surge in foreign travellers came from both nearby and distant markets, the tourism minister said.
The 10 countries providing the most tourists were China with 395,830 (an increase of 89.16% from last year), Malaysia 298,263 (up 41.62%), India 114,330 (up 27.53%), Russia 104,538 (up 19.61%), South Korea 84,539 (up 36.02%), Laos 66,396 (up 43.59%), the United Kingdom 60,495 (up 11.31%), Taiwan 60,153 (up 58.74%), the United States 56,068 (up 10.43%) and Indonesia 55,969 (up 64.52%).
Ms Sudawan said a total of 13,897,988 Thais travelled, generating 50.12 billion baht. From April 12-16 alone, the major period of the festival, 461,509 foreign tourists visited the country, generating 21.54 billion baht, while 4,337,848 Thai tourists generated 16.48 billion baht - about 38 billion baht in total.
“The Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2024, held at Sanam Luang, was a grand success, drawing huge crowds of people. This event featured the stunning background of the majestic Grand Palace and was showcased globally. This was a magnet for foreign tourists," the tourism minister said.
