Surasak Phancharoenworakul, the newly appointed minister of tourism and sports, said the government is prioritising high-value tourism, focusing on revenue rather than volume, reports the Bangkok Post.
He added that attracting high-spending tourists and those unaffected by economic challenges will help offset arrivals lost due to financial constraints.
Based on an assessment of the current global economic crisis, restoring tourism to 2019 levels ‒ when the country saw 40 million international tourists and B3trn in revenue ‒ would be challenging within two years.
He believes the target is more realistically achievable within four years.
Thailand welcomed 33mn foreign arrivals in 2025, down 7% from the year before. Total revenue generated by foreign and domestic tourists was B2.7trn, a decrease of about 1.3%.
Since taking office, Mr Surasak said the government is ready to proceed with the B300 tourism tax on foreign visitors, which will be allocated to a tourism development fund and tourist insurance.
He said such programmes are commonly practised in other destinations, such as Japan, which has even announced a threefold increase in its departure tax.
In the short term, the ministry will propose quick-win tourism stimulus measures to boost sluggish travel over the next three to six months, aiming to counter the impact of the Middle East conflict, which has driven up both living and energy costs.
“After the Songkran holiday, tourism performance is expected to worsen further,” said Mr Surasak.
He said the government will revive previous measures, such as the co-payment scheme, to boost local spending and offset the decline in foreign arrivals during the low season.
Other short-term measures include tax incentives and encouraging travellers to use public transport, such as offering stimulus programmes for train trips.
Over the four-year term, the government will also prioritise ministerial restructuring by merging tourism with the Ministry of Culture and creating a separate ministry for sports administration.
He said this would help drive the tourism industry more effectively.
Other tourism policies include promoting Thailand as a year-round destination, supporting local community tourism, and encouraging green and sustainable tourism.
The ministry also emphasises ensuring safe travel and building confidence among foreign tourists.