Operators must focus on niche markets
published : 29 Jun 2021 at 04:45 Tourists are seen checking their flights status at Suvarnabhumi airport amid the Covid-19 pandemic on March 21 this year. Arnun Chonmahatrakool
Higher spending free independent travellers (FITs) should be the key focus of the country s new tourism strategy as they are expected to contribute to rising GDP in the post-pandemic era, according to a joint study by the Bank of Thailand (BoT) and Visa International (Thailand).
The study suggests that Thailand s tourism industry should shift towards the new strategy.
The BoT estimated that under the old scenario, foreign tourist arrivals in 2024 would number 40 million with spending per trip per traveller of 48,000 baht, generating 1.9 trillion baht, BoT economist Nichaphat Surawattananon said at a seminar, Revitalising Thailand s tourism sector: In search of enablers for future sustainability , co-hosted by