Thailand's Tourist Fortunes Rise as Long-Haul Visitors Flock In

Tourism Authority pivots to high-value markets to meet ambitious revenue targets

 

Thailand's tourism sector is showing encouraging signs of recovery and growth, particularly in the long-haul market, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

 

Bolstered by increased flight capacity and a strategic focus on attracting quality visitors, the TAT remains optimistic about reaching its target of 2.23 trillion baht in foreign tourism revenue for the year.

 

TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool revealed that the latest figures from the Immigration Bureau indicate a strong influx of international tourists, with 11,350,463 arrivals recorded between the 1st of January and the 21st of April, 2025.

 

Notably, the long-haul market has demonstrated robust growth compared to the same period last year, encompassing both established and emerging markets.

 



 

Standout performers include Israel (up 97.43% with 131,958 visitors), Italy (up 28.6% with 114,808), France (up 22.65% with 364,262), the United Kingdom (up 20.61% with 423,324), the Netherlands (up 17.88% with 94,074), Spain (up 17.75% with 52,629), Australia (up 16.85% with 255,420), Russia (up 15.41% with 839,463), Saudi Arabia (up 15.26% with 43,356), Germany (up 13.14% with 407,378), and the United States (up 12.83% with 379,472). 
  

This positive trend is attributed to increased airline seat capacity, a direct result of the TAT's "Airline Focus" strategy, which involves actively encouraging and collaborating with international airlines to increase flight frequencies and introduce new routes.

 

This strategy has seen several European airlines introduce or increase direct flights to Thailand from late last year into the early part of this year.

 

Examples include Alitalia's Italy-Bangkok service, Condor's Frankfurt-Bangkok and Phuket routes, Evelop Airline S.L.'s Madrid-Bangkok connection, Air Caledonie International's Paris-Bangkok route, and increased frequencies on routes such as Iberojet's Madrid-Bangkok service and Norse Atlantic Airways' London (Gatwick)-Bangkok flights.

 

Forward booking trends for flights to Thailand from long-haul markets between April and June remain encouraging, particularly from the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Israel, and Russia.

 

In response to an anticipated dip in Chinese tourist numbers this year, the TAT is shifting its focus to aggressively promoting visitors from high-growth and high-value markets.

 



 

The strategy centres on boosting the "Quality Leisure," "Family," and "Incentive" segments across 15 long-haul markets (including the UK, Germany, Italy, Israel, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and South Africa) and 9 short-haul markets (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka).

  

A key focus is on expanding the "High Value" demographic, known for their higher spending, including "Health & Wellness" tourists (interested in Thai massage, spas, yoga, healthy food, and wellness programmes popular with Europeans, Middle Eastern visitors, ASEAN travellers, and the Chinese), "Yacht/Super Yacht" enthusiasts (targeting Europe, Australia, and the Asia Pacific region), and "Sport and Entertainment" tourists (with a focus on golf, marathons, trail running, Muay Thai, diving, and cycling for visitors from Russia, Europe, America, Australia, China, Korea, and Japan). 

 

The "Digital Nomad" and "Workation" markets are also being targeted, with popular destinations in Thailand including Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Hua Hin, and Krabi.

 



 

Furthermore, the TAT intends to capitalise on Thailand's rich culture and soft power through a series of events, festivals, and sporting competitions under the "Grand Festivity" banner.

 

This initiative aims to draw tourists to Thailand and encourage them to explore both major and secondary provinces throughout the year. 

 

Following the recent success of the Songkran festival, a continuous programme of events under the "Thailand Summer Festivals" theme will be rolled out, encompassing music (EDC, Wonderfruit, Big Mountain, Pla Ra Mor Lam), sports (UTMB, Regatta, WGP#1, FIVB, SEA Games), arts (Na Satta, International Fireworks Festival), and culture and food (Amazing Thailand Grand Taste).

 



 

This will be supported by a year-round 360-degree communication strategy across online and offline platforms, social media, and mainstream media to ensure Thailand remains a top-of-mind destination for tourists.

 

The TAT remains confident in attracting 39 million international tourists in 2025, generating 2.23 trillion baht in foreign tourism revenue.

(2025/04/26-00:00)