Thailand expects to attract 588,900 foreign arrivals during the coming Lunar New Year celebration which starts this week. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand expects tourismspending during the Lunar New Year holidays will reach 21.3 billion baht (640million USD), equal to 48% of that in 2019.
According to Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, during the Lunar New Year celebrationwhich starts this week in many countries, Thailand expects to attract 588,900foreign arrivals and get a revenue of 16.7 billion baht fromJanuary 19 to 27.
Of the total, about 322,500 foreign visitors to the country will be from Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, bringing it a revenue of 11 billionbaht.
Yuthasak said that a strong recovery in tourism stems fromincreasing demand as countries eased travel restrictions from the last quarterof last year.
He added that tourists from the Republic of Korea post thehighest flight booking to Thailand with an increase of 103% compared to that of2019.
Vietnamese tourists posted bookings of 72% of the 2019level.
Tourists from Taiwan and Hong Kong (China) to Thailand alsoposted bookings of 64% and 32% of the 2019 level respectively.
Yuthasak said that the number of visitors from mainlandChina can reach 29,400 with a spending of about 1 billion baht ($30.2 million),which marks a significant increase from the figure in 2022 – just 767 visitors.
Regarding thedomestic tourism market, Yuthasak estimated that revenue could reach 81% compared to 2019,equivalent to 4.6 billion baht, a year-on-year increase of 139%.
During the festive season, Thailand’s tourism industry expects to serve 1.38 million domestictourists, accounting for 90% of the figure in 2019./.
