More Visa Exemptions To Come As Thailand Aims For Tourist Profits

The country, which is heavily dependent on tourism, is organizing hundreds of cultural and athletic events.

In an effort to encourage tourists to prolong their stays and spend more money, Thailand is planning hundreds of cultural and athletic events and is considering waiving visa restrictions for visitors from additional European nations.

In a recent interview, Prommin Lertsuridej, a key assistant to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, said that the Southeast Asian country is now in discussions to let visitors of certain European nations to remain for up to 90 days.

The country is famous for its lively nightlife, beautiful beaches, and many national parks. He went on to say that until next year, organizers would have planned almost 3,000 cultural activities to entice visitors, including marathons, concerts, and other celebrations.

After becoming prime minister in August, Srettha has seen the tourist industry as a success that can boost Thailand's economy. For the time being, his government has instructed airlines to increase the number of flights they provide and streamline airport operations in an effort to reduce visitor wait times, and it has temporarily lifted visa restrictions for tourists from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, India, and Taiwan. Starting next month, it intends to let nighttime entertainment facilities in some regions of Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Chonburi to operate until 4 a.m.

Thailand has lifted most travel restrictions imposed during the coronavirus outbreak, but tourists aren't spending as much as they were before the virus hit, and the country has fallen short of its official predictions.

Nearly 40 million tourists visited the nation in 2019, bringing in 1.91 trillion baht. The typical visitor spent 47,895 baht on a nine-day vacation that year, according to government statistics. As of this year's November, 23.2 million international visitors had visited Thailand, bringing in a total of 981.7 billion baht. So, it's presently 12% lower than the per-trip expenditure guideline for 2019.

With an objective of 2 trillion baht ($57 billion) in 2024, the Tourism Authority of Thailand aims to increase earnings from international tourists to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Loi Krathong event, the Bangkok Marathon, and the New Year are all part of the Winter festivities, which were announced last week by Srettha. By showcasing Thailand's distinctive culture, the festival hopes to entice visitors during the peak tourist season (November–January).

 

Source: gulfnews.com