Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports on April 22 lowered its 2025 tourism revenue forecast to 3 trillion THB (90.3 billion USD), down from the previous target of 3.5 trillion THB, citing both domestic and international factors that could affect the country's vital tourism industry.
The updated forecast reflects a return to pre-COVID-19 levels, comprising 2 trillion THB from international tourists and 1 trillion THB from domestic travellers. However, the new projection is lower than the ministry's target, the ministry’s permanent secretary Nattareeya Thaweewong said.
Nattareeya noted the ministry has instructed the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to revise its marketing plan for the second half of 2025 due to a number of factors, including concerns over tourism safety and earthquakes, as well as external influences such as US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
She went on to say that the ministry and the TAT will finalise the revised marketing plan by May. This direct approach is expected to be more efficient than holding a workshop, which requires gathering all relevant stakeholders at once. The TAT’s key performance indicators (KPIs) will also be adjusted to focus more specifically on the number of tourist arrivals and tourism-generated income.
The TAT must reorient its objectives to place greater emphasis on attracting high-spending tourists, particularly those from the Middle East, who often travel as families for medical tourism in Thailand, she said.
Target markets like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and several European countries that currently do not travel to the US should be actively encouraged to visit Thailand instead—particularly Spain, Germany, Sweden, the UK, as well as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Nattareeya added that the TAT will reduce expenditure on events in underperforming markets to ensure a more efficient allocation of resources./.
