The cabinet has approved a central budget of 433 million baht for the Tourism and Sports Ministry aimed at boosting tourism during the low season through collaborative online promotions and events.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aims to increase domestic tourism revenue to 1.2 trillion baht, reducing the risks associated with overreliance on international markets.
Tourism Minister Sermsak Pongpanit announced that the two proposed stimulus schemes are projected to generate 17 billion baht and will be launched under the theme “The Charm of Thai.”
Both domestic and international tourists are encouraged to visit five regions with extended stay options to enhance tourist income, particularly benefiting local communities.
For the first initiative, the TAT will partner with nine online travel agencies—Agoda, Meituan, MakeMyTrip, Traveloka, Ascend Travel, Trip, TripAdvisor, Klook, and Tagthai—to offer promotional travel packages for the months of August and September. This project, valued at 280 million baht, aims to increase advance bookings and hotel occupancy rates while boosting airline load factors, ultimately bringing in at least 185,000 additional visitors.
The second initiative will focus on festivals and events scheduled for September, showcasing sports, arts, music, and culture. Additional promotional incentives will be provided to encourage spending in major and secondary cities. Noteworthy events expected to generate 750 million baht include the Chiang Mai Art and Music Festival, art installations and performances in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the River of Time event in Kanchanaburi, and the Chonburi International Music Festival in the Rain.
TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool mentioned an anticipated revenue growth projection of 7.5% for 2025 and emphasized the importance of boosting domestic tourism revenue to mitigate risks associated with heavy dependence on the international market, especially in light of global economic challenges and geopolitical conflicts affecting tourism.
Last month, the agency revealed an official target of 205 million domestic trips for 2025, a decrease from the previous projection of 220 million trips. Ms. Thapanee indicated that while 205 million trips serve as a baseline, the agency will actively work to elevate domestic tourism to meet the 220 million trips target, aiming for 1.2 trillion baht in revenue, compared to the 1 trillion baht expected for this year.
To address stagnant purchasing power, the agency plans to motivate tourists to increase the frequency of short trips each year. This approach is designed to reduce the cost of individual trips and distribute tourism income across more destinations, thus encouraging travel beyond typical holiday periods.
