Europe expected to boost Thai tourism revenue 5-7% next year

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aims to bolster tourism revenue in Europe by 5-7% next year, as it tailors products to individual European markets during the World Travel Market (WTM) trade show in London. UK travel agents have noted a shift in travelers from Middle Eastern destinations to Asia, including Thailand. TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool emphasized the need to rebalance Thailand's foreign tourism market to avoid overreliance on certain source markets.

The European market will remain a focus for TAT, with a strategy targeting secondary cities such as Nice, Lyon, Düsseldorf, and Lausanne. This approach is expected to generate consistent demand for new commercial and charter flights, ensuring traffic remains steady over the long run. TAT seeks to attract high-spending travelers from the UK to explore lesser-known destinations like Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son, offering wellness offerings to appeal to health-conscious tourists.

Despite ongoing conflicts in the Gulf region, TAT projects European tourist arrivals to reach 8.3 million this year, generating 530 billion baht in revenue. However, arrivals from the UK are expected to decline by 3.8% year-on-year due to flight cancellations. The UK remains one of Thailand's top three long-haul source markets, with a projected 1.04 million arrivals this year, down from 1.08 million last year.

European tourist arrivals are still expected to decline by 4% year-on-year to 31.8 million this year.