BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The Tourism Authority of Thailand is targeting five Asian markets with campaigns promoting wellness, food and Thai culture, alongside fiscal 2027 targets for 6.2% growth in revenue from Asean visitors.
It also aims to increase arrivals from Asean by 4.3% in the same financial year. The five priority markets are Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan.
The strategy, outlined in a Commerce Ministry statement on Oct 23, follows a policy set by Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun to bring together the commerce, culture and tourism and sports ministries.
Suphajee’s policy aims to turn Thailand’s hosting of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank into lasting economic benefits by connecting tourism, Thai products and cultural influence, or soft power.
The initiative linking tourism, trade and culture aims to expand market opportunities, increase the value of goods and services, and distribute income to businesses and local communities.
Thailand’s tourism authority will focus on families and shopping in Vietnam, while its Malaysia campaign will emphasise food, shopping and travel to secondary cities.
For Indonesia, it will promote wellness and Muslim-friendly tourism. In Singapore, the authority will target visitors with strong spending power and an interest in quality travel experiences.
Meanwhile, its Taiwan strategy centres on Thai food and culinary tourism, alongside the Go Thai Be Free campaign presenting Thailand as an open and welcoming destination for LGBTQ travellers.
The authority has presented seven tourism routes in Bangkok and 20 travel programmes through the Association of Thai Travel Agents to encourage meeting participants to extend their stays and spend more in Thailand.
Thailand hosted the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Annual Meetings from Oct 12 to 18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.
The tourism authority is building on the event to promote Thailand as a destination for major international gatherings under its World Event Hub Destination positioning.
It is encouraging delegates to travel beyond the meetings, both in Bangkok and to destinations including Pattaya, Hua Hin and Nakhon Ratchasima.
It is also promoting wellness and relaxation under the concept Healing Is The New Luxury, together with “Thainess” and the Visitor Economy, which focuses on economic activity generated by visitor spending.
The tourism authority is using arts, culture, Thai textiles, Thai cuisine and local food to offer international visitors distinctive experiences.
Its cultural programme included Nora dance drama, nang yai shadow puppetry, hun lakhon lek puppet theatre and khon masked dance drama.
The programme also featured a sculpture called Tao Tanu (Green Turtle), created from discarded materials through the TAT X WISHULADA collaboration.
The authority also organised the Amazing Thailand Global Thai Silk Exhibition & The Amazing Thailand Grand Fashion Show, involving designers from more than 100 countries in creating and presenting Thai silk designs.
It intends these cultural activities to connect tourism with distinctive products and services, help visitors reach production centres and local communities, and give Thai businesses additional marketing channels beyond the meetings. -- THE NATION THAILAND/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
