Thai tourism industry predicted to grow 11 pct this year

Hua Hin night market in Thailand (Source: VNA)

Bangkok (VNA) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand has forecast that the industry would grow 11 percent this year with 33.8 million international tourists.

Chinese arrivals are predicted to account for nearly 30 percent of the total.

Over the past time, the Thai government’s crackdown on “zero dollar tours” has resulted in a strong reduction of the number of Chinese arrivals.

Among 100 million Chinese who travel worldwide each year, only 9 percent come to Thailand now.

The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports has recently waived visa fees and reduced visa-on-arrival costs for tourists from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan (China) in an effort to increase arrivals by 10 percent.

The Thai government also decided to loosen visa regulations targeting 19 countries from December 1, 2016 – February 28, 2017.

According to the National Economic and Social Development Board of Thailand, the Thai economy grew 3.2 percent in July-September compared to the same period last year, down from the 3.5 percent growth rate recorded in the previous quarter./.

VNA