On December 10, the passengers of Saudi Arabian Airlines were greeted with great fanfare at the Bangkok airport. Saturday’s flight pushed Thailand to the 10 million visitor mark, authorities said. Dancers and traditional drummers were present at the event. The representatives of the tourism department presented the Saudi couple with flowers, gift certificates and water park tickets. This new round of 10 million visitors since the beginning of the year shows that tourism, a key sector of the kingdom, has largely recovered. It is still far from its pre-epidemic level.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha hailed the sustainability of entrepreneurs in the country’s tourism and hospitality sector. “The sky is clear, he greeted in his speech. “We want to build confidence that Thailand remains one of the (main) tourist destinations for people all over the world.“, he added.
Tourism remains below its pre-Covid levels
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Consequently, the Land of Smiles will welcome just over ten million visitors this year, a significant increase from the 427,000 tourists received in 2021 at the height of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Arriving passengers were thrilled to discover the wonders of the kingdom. The number of visitors still remains below the pre-epidemic level. In 2019, about 40 million traveled to the kingdom. The decline in tourism is causing a loss of revenue for Thailand’s struggling economy, which is growing at a lower rate than its Southeast Asian neighbors.
“There is still a lot of room for improvement, mainly with tourists from Asia-Pacific countries.Marisa Sukosol explained to AFP. The president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA) is particularly hoping for signs of openness from China, whose strict “zero Covid” policy deprives Thailand of nearly ten million visitors a year; the number of Chinese went there in 2019 the most represented nationality. “There is no complacency. The world remains unstable, we must remain cautiousMarisa Sukosol said. According to the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), authorities expect 23 million visitors in 2023, which is expected to bring more than €32 billion to the Thai economy.
Source: Le Figaro
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