Tourism associations in the South of Thailand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Melaka Chapter of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) to boost tourism between the two countries.
Songchai Mungprasitthichai, chairman of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, said on Friday that about half the tourists coming to the border province are from Malaysia.
The top destination for Malaysian tourists is Hat Yai, about 60 kilometres from the Malaysian border. However, the charm of Hat Yai is expected to fade at some point, which has spurred the idea of promoting tourism in nearby provinces.
Satun, Phatthalung, Trang and Krabi have the potential to attract Malaysian tourists travelling to Thailand via Songkhla because they can go further by air, road or rail, he said.
Some 24 travel and tour agents from tourism associations in Songkhla, Satun, Phatthalung, Trang and Krabi, and 12 of their Malaysian counterparts from the State of Malacca, led by the Matta Melaka Chapter, signed the MoU to cooperate and promote tourism between the two countries.
"We hope to see Malaysian tourists who visit Songkhla travel to Satun, Phatthalung, Trang and Krabi and spend at least one night in those provinces. They can also fly back home from Krabi international airport," Mr Songchai said.
He said during long holidays, Songkhla welcomes about 30,000 tourists from Malaysia as well as from Singapore. If certain promotions or services attract some or one-third of those visitors to nearby provinces, high revenues can be earned by people in the South, he said.
Khemmapol Auitayakul, secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, said there are signs that Phatthalung's tourism industry has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.
It welcomed at least 1.3 million tourists last year, who generated up to 4 billion baht in revenue.
The province expects to welcome over 2 million tourists this year, including people from Malaysia, Singapore and Europe.
He said Phatthalung has the potential to see tourism grow as it is known among nature lovers.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said Hat Yai is still a gateway to the South, and there will soon be more direct daily flights there from various Chinese cities.