With Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin claiming Thailand will be a tourism hub next year, the private sector is worried about a lack of preparations in second-tier cities as high-potential segments such as sports tourism have yet to receive full support.
"Next year is going to be the greatest year for Thai tourism in history," Mr Srettha said at a tourism workshop at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center on Friday, insisting tourism will be one of three key sectors to drive the economy.
The government set out five efforts to elevate the industry, with one of them to promote second-tier cities, but Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said most of these provinces still lack facilities, services and man-made attractions that are essential components to stimulate tourism income.
"Before hotels can promote their accommodation to guests, other tourism supply should be strong enough to facilitate tourists," said Mrs Marisa.
She said the main obstacle that must be addressed is connectivity from major cities to second-tier provinces as it will drive traffic to new destinations and help absorb congestion, preventing overtourism in major cities.
Educating local communities about sustainability and promoting sustainable tourism in those destinations is also critical, enabling them to learn to efficiently accommodate the flow of tourists and attract younger travellers who care about sustainability, said Mrs Marisa.
She said more tourism jobs in new destinations could indirectly fix the labour shortage if it lures back Thai workers, after many of them moved overseas to earn a higher income.
Meanwhile, negative perceptions from tourism scams should be addressed, as some of these problems remain unresolved, said Mrs Marisa.
Chatri Sityodtong, founder and chief executive of One Championship, a martial arts and combat sports promoter, said the value of sports tourism in Thailand is still tiny, though it offers a great opportunity to stimulate the economy.
In the US, the sports industry is valued at more than US$35 billion and attracts fans from around the world, exceeding the value of Hollywood at $5 billion, said Mr Chatri.
He said sports promotion in Thailand still lacks sufficient funding from the government and does not have adequate venues to host large-scale events.
This year the government set the tourism revenue target at 3.5 trillion baht after securing 2.13 trillion baht in 2023, contributing 12.8% of GDP.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said the tourism industry contributed 18.6% of GDP in 2017, which was its highest level on record.
She said the five key strategies to elevate the industry to a regional hub consist of: elevating soft power; promoting tourism in major and secondary cities; attracting world-class events and upgrading local festivals to global festivals; enhancing connectivity within Southeast Asia; and ensuring tourism confidence.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry said it will evaluate the workshop results and integrate them into its policies.