As Thailand’s sixth largest market globally in 2015, India obviously a place of importance to Thailand tourism stakeholders. Additionally, India has displayed a steady tourist flow and promising year-on-year increase in arrivals over the last two decades.
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Thailand’s Minister for Tourism & Sports put India’s significance into perspective when she said, “We welcomed 1.06 million Indian travelers to Thailand during 2015, putting India at sixth position globally, up from seventh position last year. Indians spent 47,827 million baht in Thailand last year. I must thank you – our friends in the travel trade, the wedding planners who weave dreams in Thailand, Bollywood producers who tempt people to return to Thailand and corporates who reward employees with incentive travel to Thailand – for your support, without which this amazing milestone would not be possible. I count on your support in the years to come too – we see India as having the capacity to double this figure by 2022.”
“It gives me immense joy to say that India has successfully shown a migration from just bulk of tourist numbers to a better quality of tourist experience and without having ever slowed down in growth of arrivals. I can only encourage you to keep it up as 2016 picks up pace,” she concluded.
Thailand has set a target of 8% increase in arrivals for 2016. The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s offices in Mumbai and Delhi will be targeting specific quality-focussed segments such as getaways for groups of women, family holidays, leisurely breaks for senior citizens, enriching vacations for youngsters and of course niches like golfers, divers and road-trippers.
