The government is gearing up for its "Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025", with events and special privileges planned to attract more visitors.
Under the initiative, the government aims to see more than 40 million foreign visitors arrive next year, generating 3.4 trillion baht in revenue.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who also serves as chairman of the national tourism policy committee, said the government has assigned importance to the sector as it contributes significantly to economic growth by generating both income and employment.
The government has designated the year as "Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025" and laid on a series of special events to attract more tourists, he said before chairing a meeting of the committee on Tuesday.
After the meeting, Mr Suriya said that it had been agreed that five campaigns called Grand Festivity, Grand Moment, Grand Privilege, Grand Invitation and Grand Celebration would be launched to support the initiative.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry will be responsible for working out the details of the campaigns and submitting them to the cabinet for approval, said Mr Suriya, also a deputy prime minister.
The ministry will also unveil full details of Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025 next month, including measures to support airlines, hotels, online travel agencies and visa privileges, Mr Suriya said.
A calendar featuring all the major tourism events and festivals will also be made available to enable tourists to plan their travel in Thailand in advance, the minister said.
Mr Suriya emphasised the need for relevant agencies to work together to ensure foreign visitors' safety during their stay in Thailand and boost the country's positive image.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the year-long campaign will incorporate events such as the MotoGP races in February and March and the famous Songkran festival in April.
To achieve a target of 3.4 trillion baht in tourism revenue for 2025, Thailand is investing in infrastructure and improving visa processes, including a pan-Asean common visa policy, the ministry said.
According to the ministry's data, from Jan 1 to Nov 24, Thailand welcomed 31,313,787 foreign tourists whose accumulated spending amounted to approximately 1.46 trillion baht.
Chinese tourists made up the largest number of foreign arrivals at 6,096,010, followed by 4,443,173 tourists from Malaysia, 1,868,802 from India, 1,647,328 from South Korea and 1,455,398 from Russia.
Previously, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra outlined three key government strategies -- "Thai charms", "hidden gem cities", and "five must-dos" under the new Amazing Thailand tourism promotion initiative.
She said the "charms" are the country's unique cultural experiences, including cuisine and craftsmanship, which emphasise the essence of Thai culture.
The "hidden gem cities" are lesser-known tourist attractions that will be promoted to enhance income distribution.
The five "must-dos" will package Thai food, cultural and local goods into new travel tour routes and festivals, which kicked off with the Thailand Winter Festival this month.
Ms Paetongtarn stressed that the scheme aims to increase tourism revenue by 7.5% and set an overall target of 3.4 trillion baht from more than 40 million expected visitors next year, along with over 205 million domestic vacations.
