BANGKOK – Thailand is on course to meet its target for 28 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2023 as a surge in visitors from neighbouring Malaysia helps counter a slow recovery in the Chinese market, the biggest source of inbound travellers pre-Covid-19.

Total arrivals have topped 25 million so far in 2023, with the number of Malaysian travellers more than doubling from 2022 to 4 million, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. While about 3.1 million Chinese holidaymakers have visited Thailand in 2023, taking second spot and up from 273,567 in 2022, the 2023 tally is set to miss the official target of 4 million to 4.4 million, data showed.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects a further recovery to 35 million visitors in 2024, including 8.2 million from China. 

But that target “seems aggressive” after the disappointing Chinese tourist numbers in 2023, according to Krungsri Securities Pcl. Instead, total tourist arrivals could hit 33 million in 2024 due to a slower increase in Chinese visitors amid economic headwinds at home, analyst Sirilak Konwai said in a report.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is counting on tourism to accelerate the nation’s economic growth, with the sector accounting for about 12 per cent of gross domestic product and nearly a fifth of jobs.

His government has temporarily waived visas for travellers from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, India and Taiwan, and ordered airlines to add more routes while streamlining airport operations to reduce waiting times for visitors.

In 2019, the country saw record foreign arrivals – almost 40 million – which generated 1.91 trillion baht in revenue (S$73 billion). That year, on average, each tourist spent 47,895 baht during their nine-day trip, according to official data.

The country has generated 1.07 trillion baht in 2023 from tourism. BLOOMBERG