BANGKOK: By focusing on high-spending groups like Indian wedding parties and honeymooners, Thailand expects to increase its tourism earnings to between 600 billion and 700 billion baht ($16 billion and $19 billion) by year’s end, according to a senior tourism official.
Thailand, known for its white sand beaches and vibrant nightlife, aspires to meet “pent-up demand” from the multi-billion dollar Indian wedding industry, according to deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Siripakorn Cheawsamoot.
He said on Tuesday that data from the previous two years showed that many Indian couples were married but postponed their honeymoons because they wanted to hold their reception abroad, notably in Thailand.With 4.2 million tourists between January and August generating 186 billion baht in income, 10 million visitors are anticipated over the entire year.
The nation of Southeast Asia mainly depends on tourism as a source of economic expansion. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, foreign arrivals drastically decreased to just 428,000, down from a record-breaking almost 40 million in 2019, when tourism accounted for 12% of GDP.
Following the removal of the majority of pandemic-related restrictions, the government now aims to generate $11 billion in income during the second half of 2022.
