Thailand is done chasing tourist records. After decades of measuring success by ever-rising arrival numbers, the government is making its clearest push yet to prioritize how much visitors spend versus how many show up.
The Southeast Asian nation, famed for its beaches and city nightlife, is only targeting about 33 million foreign visitors this year, well below the nearly 40 million who arrived in 2019. If arrivals fall short of last year¡¯s 32.97 million, it would mark Thailand¡¯s first back-to-back annual decline outside the pandemic since at least 1995.
Geopolitical tensions and intensifying regional competition mean a focus on higher-spending travelers rather than mass tourism is key, Tourism Authority of Thailand Deputy Governor Nithee Seeprae said in an interview.
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