Thailand is on course to welcome 12.2 million foreign arrivals in the last four months of 2024, lifting annual arrivals to almost 36 million and generating 1.8 trillion baht in revenue this year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT governor, said the visa-free scheme, several festive events, and the rebound of international flights, reaching 82% of the 2019 level, should help to grow the market.
As of Aug 26, foreign arrivals tallied 23 million for 2024 and bookings continue from East Asia, especially China, followed by Europe and South Asia for later this year, she said.
However, risk factors to watch include intense competition from Asian countries, global economic uncertainty and geopolitical conflicts, said Ms Thapanee.
For the domestic market, the agency forecasts 72.5 million local trips generating 335 billion baht during the last four months.
On Friday, the TAT signed a letter of intent with online Nanjing Tuniu International Travel Service to bolster the Chinese market, particularly independent tourists.
The collaboration calls for sharing of data and insights, as well as mutual participation in travel events.
Nonglux Yooyendee, director of TAT's Shanghai office, said the agency previously partnered with Tuniu to host summer camp trips for Chinese students to Thailand, as the platform specialises in attracting Chinese travellers from Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province.
To mitigate the impact of the sluggish Chinese economy, which has affected the mass market, the TAT is pivoting to high-spending Chinese travellers to maintain tourism receipts, said Ms Nonglux.
She said tourists who booked via this platform on average spent 3,000 yuan or 14,400 baht per day in Thailand.
According to Tuniu, the number of group tour bookings to Thailand in the first seven months of 2024 increased 161% year-on-year.
In 2023, groups accounted for 79% of bookings on its platform, while self-guided tours and customised tour packages tallied 11% and 10%, respectively.
Ms Nonglux said the summer camp students booking via the platform were keen to explore various attractions in Thailand, including local communities and museums.
The students are also interested in combining English study at international schools in Chiang Mai, Phuket and Bangkok.
As the TAT expects to secure 8 million Chinese visitors this year, another 3.25 million are needed to reach its goal, said Ms Thapanee.
Though many provinces are suffering from flooding, she said this has not severely affected tourism sentiment, with inbound flow consistent over the past week.