Thailand promotes tourism packages to attract 1 million Southeast Asian tourists

As countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region ease their pandemic-era travel restrictions and reopen their borders, Thailand aims to take advantage of the resumed international flights. By the end of the year, Thailand hopes to attract some 1.75 million international tourists via short-haul flights, with more than a million coming from Southeast Asian counties alone.

To reach their international tourism target, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is collaborating with budget airline Thai AirAsia to bring in a minimum of 18,000 tour packages within the next few months, according to the Bangkok Post. From April to July, the TAT is teaming up with the airline to increase international visitors by running partner campaigns in various countries to attract more foreign tourists with at least 18,000 international tour packages. According to TAA chief executive, Santisuk Klongchaiya…

“We have overcome the rock bottom of the pandemic and are prepared to take off from the second quarter onwards.”

Now that many people in neighbouring countries can travel to Thailand and around the region without as many entry restrictions as before, the TAT hopes to attract more than a million travellers from Southeast Asia the year. Specifically, the TAT aims to bring in 11,000 package tours with solo travellers and families from Vietnam and 3,000 tours with young couples and millennials from Singapore. As for Malaysia and Cambodia, the TAT aims to bring in 1,000 package tours each, with a focus on medical tourism.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s AirAsia target for 2022 is 12 million passengers, with international tourists accounting for 30%. For the upcoming Songkran festival, the airline expects flights to be operating at 90% capacity on routes to major locations like Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket and Krabi, while flights to other provinces may exceed 80% capacity.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post