The government's initiative to extend tax breaks for tourism spending in second-tier provinces this year has been praised by tourism operators, who cite last year's success in increasing community income by 15-20%.
The idea to extend the tax rebate for tourism spending in 55 less-popular provinces this year was floated last week at the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Representatives agreed to hold further talks with the Finance Ministry on the extension and raise the tax deduction to 30,000 baht, double last year's total of 15,000 baht.
Thaweepong Wichaidit, director-general of the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta), said the incentive is an effective measure to encourage people to visit small provinces and will boost income in rural areas.
Last year, the tax rebate allowed travellers who spend on accommodation and food in these second-tier provinces to claim a tax deduction of 15,000 baht.
The incentive drove domestic travel in 2018 to around 160 million trips, with 90 million in secondary provinces.
Communities supervised by Dasta also benefited, such as those in Kamphaeng Phet, Loei, Trat, Sukhothai and Suphan Buri. Villagers in these communities received 15-20% higher income on average last year, Mr Thaweepong said.
Dasta's five-year plan (2019-23) aims to promote community-based tourism (CBT) and help communities grow under a variety of themes, like heritage towns and music cities.
There are 14 communities that meet CBT Thailand standards, with more being promoted this year and a projection for 40 communities by year-end.
Among the 14 communities are Sukhothai's old city, Ban Bo Suak in Nan province, U Thong ancient city in Suphan Buri, and Khung Bang Kachao, Samut Prakan.
Dasta partners with alliances such as the Thai Federation of Provincial Tourist Associations to provide marketing advice to communities.
This year, more cooperation has been forged with Bangkok Airways to bring tourists to second-tier provinces such as Trat, Sukhothai and Chiang Rai.