TAT seeking B780m for domestic push

TAT seeking B780m for domestic push

Festivals, sports events to draw more visitors

A Chinese folk dance is performed on Sunday at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Thailand on Thiam Ruam Mit Road as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. (Bangkok Post file photo)
A Chinese folk dance is performed on Sunday at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Thailand on Thiam Ruam Mit Road as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. (Bangkok Post file photo)

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to ask for a special budget of 780 million baht from the government to stimulate domestic tourism in the low season this year.

It will use 100 million baht to promote the Tiew Tua Thai campaign, due to start next month, while the rest will fund big tourism festivals and sports events as well as lighting at major attractions.

Tourism remains a key powerhouse to drive the economy this year as exports continue to fall.

The TAT forecasts foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand will rise to more than 30 million this year, up from 29.9 million last year. The tourism revenue target is 2.41 trillion baht, up from 2.25 trillion last year.

The TAT will spend its own fiscal budget to promote domestic events until the government approves the special budget, said governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

The agency has received good support from private companies to become sponsors of the Tiew Tua Thai campaign.

Toyota Motor Thailand will donate one passenger car every three months, while Samsung Thailand will offer IT gadgets and home electrical appliances. The government will give the campaign 1 million baht every month until December.

Mr Yuthasak said the government will fully promote tourism and organise several tourism events to keep travel momentum rising for the whole year.

The Tiew Tua Thai campaign is part of the major "Quick Win" project that will be introduced by TAT next month.

The project will promote tourism, especially in less known provinces. The TAT will give one coupon to tourists who spend 1,000 baht at hotels and restaurants to join a lucky draw every month and every quarter. Prizes will be special discounts for hotels, airlines and other tourism operators.

Mr Yuthasak said the project will help to generate at least 50 billion baht of revenue on top of the TAT's 2016 domestic tourism revenue target of 850 billion.

Big concerts, food festivals and sports events will be staged this year.

The tourism industry is also a key mechanism to distribute income to communities. The government hopes tourism will help local people earn more income when farm product prices are falling and the country faces drought problems.

Chanin Donavanik, head of the advisory board for the Pracha Rat (People's State) initiative, said every 100 baht spent on hotels would generate 400 baht for the local sector, while every 400 baht spent on tourism would generate 2,000 baht for the overall economy.

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