CityNews – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has predicted a boom in American tourist arrivals in 2014. The TAT has forecasted that these American visitors will pour almost 80 billion baht into the economy, which is 8.23% more than this year. The expected amount of visitors is said to be around 1.13 million people, partly thanks to the US slowly recovering its economy.
Tourists at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Earlier this year, the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association declared that China is now the biggest source of tourists to Thailand. Out of the 3.3 million visitors expected in 2013, 3.22 million have already been recorded in the first eight months. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the two countries are discussing visa waivers, and encouraging more Chinese investment in Thailand. The next goal is for 2014 to see 5 million Chinese tourists coming to Thailand.
The TAT has revealed its official target of 28 million international tourists for the year of 2014, which is a 13% increase from 2013. TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni says he is proud of the “cooperation and creativity” of the country’s travel and tourism industry.
Medical tourism is also extremely popular in Thailand, with the most visited cities for medical purposes being Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Pattaya, and Phuket. The medical tourism industry’s growth rate is around 16% per annum, which sees Thailand projected to generate around 100 billion baht in yearly revenue by 2015.