Thailand aims to be top Muslim tourism destination within 5 years

Thailand is projected to emerge as a principal destination for international Muslim tourists within the next half-decade. The Deputy Government Spokesperson, Rachada Dhnadirek, put forth this intent to lure more Muslim travellers, citing their rising numbers and increased spending capacity.

She noted, during her Friday announcement, that Muslim tourists comprised a major segment of Thailand’s tourism industry. An impressive surge in the volume of Muslim visitors to the country was observed last year, accounting for over three million, a substantial rise from the recorded 875,043 in 2017.

These figures, she recalled, were grounded in the data released by the Department of Tourism (DoT). An average Muslim visitor’s stay is around 13 days, with each guest spending approximately 6,000 baht per day.

The DoT has set forth an ambitious five-year plan from 2023 to 2027 to heighten the allure of the kingdom among Muslim tourists. This process aims to bolster the service quality of tourism operators to match international standards.

It includes the launch of halal goods, services, and activities that cater to the requirements of Muslim tourists while employing technology to simplify their travel.

The DoT is actively engaging with other sectors to discern strategies to portray Thailand as a welcoming tourism spot that respects Muslim conventions.

The strategic plan anticipates propelling the country into the shortlist of top choices for Muslim travellers within the next five years, the deputy spokesperson said.

“The government recognises the significance of catering to the Muslim tourism market. We are optimistic that the upcoming government will continue this policy.”

Currently, the Global Muslim Travel Index 2023, unveiled by Mastercard, ranked Indonesia and Malaysia in the first position jointly, followed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey. (Note: These top five tourism countries are all Muslim countries.)

In a parallel report, the Economics Tourism and Sports Division of the Tourism and Sports Ministry disclosed that Thailand has received over 16.472 million international tourists since the beginning of this year. The influx has pushed the income generated through tourism to approximately 689 billion baht.

The principal tourism groups accounting for this influx arrived from the Muslim country of Malaysia (2,581,251) first, then China (2,027,823), South Korea (982,328), India (947,431), and Russia (884,839).

From August 7 to 13, Thailand welcomed 577,136 foreign tourist arrivals, with the number of tourists from Japan and India increasing by 84.36% and 22.54% from the previous week, respectively.

The ministry estimates that nearly 570,000 additional international tourists will visit the country this week, with a large proportion hailing from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.