Thread: Tourism Min boasts jump in tourist number in past 6 months

BANGKOK, 20 April 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced its success in pushing up the number of tourists by over 15 percent during the past six months.

During her presentation of the ministry’s six-month achievements, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul revealed that political stability in Thailand has been the main factor restoring foreigners’ confidence. As a result, the count of foreign visitors between October 2014 and March 2015 rose 15.42 percent year-on-year to 16.74 million while nearly 824 billion baht of tourism income was generated, an increase of 17.81 percent.

Chinese tourists represented the largest group of visitors to the Kingdom, with a growth of almost 70 percent, followed by those from Malaysia, Russia, Japan and Singapore respectively. The most popular destinations, meanwhile, were Chiang Mai, Phuket, Songkhla, Pattaya and Krabi. The ministry is also maintaining its revenue target for this year at 2.2 trillion baht, 1.4 trillion of which coming from foreigners and the other 800 billion from domestic travelers.

Ms Kobkarn stated that the ministry is coordinating with tourism operators in drafting a long-term tourism reform plan, which would seek to adjust tourism in each area in correspondence with the local way of life and accentuate the identity of each community. The minister is confident the plan will be finished within July, after which it will be proposed to the Cabinet.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/....d4zW8h53.dpuf

Wow, that's great news

Ms Kobkarn stated that the ministry is coordinating with tourism operators in drafting a long-term tourism reform plan, which would seek to adjust tourism in each area in correspondence with the local way of life and accentuate the identity of each community. The minister is confident the plan will be finished within July, after which it will be proposed to the Cabinet.

Maybe the 'government' should focus more effort on resolving their UN airline safety problem as quickly as possible rather than waste time on BS like the above.

Is it because people feel safer in Thailand with the present government, despite western media bagging it

Originally Posted by misskit

Chinese tourists represented the largest group of visitors to the Kingdom, with a growth of almost 70 percent, followed by those from Malaysia, Russia, Japan and Singapore respectively.

There are more Russians coming to Thailand than people from any European Countries ?
We can all see that there arent many Russians coming to Thailand these days .
It could be that tourists are deserting Thailand and its just the Chinese keeping the numbers up

Chinese are nor scared by the "Dictator" - unlike the panty-twisted farangs.

Quite how the multitude of Chinese package tourists flocking here on cheap holidays staying at cheap hotels will compensate the tourist infrastructure developed through the European/ Russian demographic, now much diminished, is mystifying.

The hotels here in Pattaya are in trouble as indeed are the multitude of restaurants and bars which have seen a poor high season and are now having to weather the next few months when historically no one visits.

The lower end of the market and those catering for the Chinese are doing well but anything in the 2000 baht + bracket are facing troubled times.