Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra outlined a vision to promote Thailand as a world-class tourism destination at a global travel trade show in Berlin on Wednesday.
She reaffirmed the government's commitment to sustainable tourism, improving infrastructure, promoting the country's soft power and ensuring visitors' safety.
She made the remarks during a keynote speech at the Amazing Thailand Networking Event, organised as part of the Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin 2025 (ITB Berlin 2025) event at CityCube in the German capital.
Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub summarised the key points. He said the year 2025 has been designated as "Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism & Sports Year 2025" as tourism is one of the key strategies to drive the country's economic growth.
Ms Paetongtarn said last year, the government boosted GDP through tourism as the number of foreign visitors exceeded the target of 35 million, generating more than €47.4 billion (1.7 trillion baht) or about 15% of GDP.
She said the government aims to attract 39 million international visitors this year and generate €98 billion, with the number of visitors from Europe projected at 10.6 million, bringing some €24.2 billion.
In light of this, the government has devised measures to achieve these goals through the Thailand Tourism vision of upgrading Thailand as a world-class tourism destination. They include boosting tourist convenience by improving visa procedures and visa exemptions for visitors from 93 countries and territories.
The government also wanted to ensure ensuring tourist safety. Emergency response measures had been devised to help tourists at various tourist spots.
The PM added that infrastructure development is another strategy to boost tourism. The government seeks to develop Thailand into a regional aviation hub to accommodate 250 million passengers annually.
This requires expanding Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, upgrading U-Tapao, Phuket, and Chiang Mai airports, and building new airports, including Andaman and Lanna airports.
The government was also committed to promoting soft power by making the most of local wisdom with the support of innovation and highly skilled workers to add value to Thai products and services.
The prime minister also stressed the importance of making Thailand a global medical hub and boosting eco-tourism.