Thailand expecting a million Middle Eastern tourists following restoration of Saudi ties

Thailand hopes to restore its battered tourism sector by welcoming around a million Middle Eastern tourists by the end of this year. Government spokesperson Traisulee Traisornkul says the restoration of ties with Saudi Arabia, after a 30-year freeze, will help revive the tourism industry in the kingdom.

“Restoring relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia would play a crucial role in increasing the number of tourists from the Middle East in Thailand. The Tourism Minister had aimed that by 2022, the number of travelers from the Middle East would be increasing up to 1 million.”

According to a Pattaya News report, the Thai government has its eyes on the Middle East after tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Emirates airline in Dubai. Under the agreement, Emirates will promote Thailand to its customers, under the TAT’s “Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters” campaign.

Etihad Airways, the UAE’s second carrier, has also signed the MOC and will promote the campaign to its customers. According to Traisulee, the Thai government is confident airlines in Saudi Arabia will also sign up to a similar agreement. She says the recent restoration of ties between Saudi Arabia and Thailand has provided a significant opportunity to increase tourism from the Middle East. Phiphat is due to lead a delegation of tourism operators to Saudi Arabia in March, as part of efforts to strengthen ties with Saudi tourism businesses.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News