Thailand expects a windfall from the Indian tourist market if travellers stay away from the Middle East and turn eastward instead. (Photo: thethaiger.com)Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand expects a windfall from the Indian touristmarket if travellers stay away from the Middle East and turn eastward instead.
ExecutiveDirector of the ASEAN, South Asia, and South Pacific Markets under the TourismAuthority of Thailand (TAT) said the ongoing Iran-US conflict could affectIndian travellers' confidence, resulting in their shunning of Dubai forThailand to avoid the Middle East.
Dubai is the most preferred destination for outbound Indian tourists, with 2.1million visitors in 2019.
Thailand estimated that 1.9 million tourists came from India in 2019, a 22percent uptick from 2018, generating 84 billion THB (2.77 billion) in revenue,up 27 percent, according to the TAT.
The agency sees a growth rate of 10 percent to 2.2 million tourists this yearfrom this huge South Asian market.
Although the TATanticipates flourishing demand, the growth rate is unlikely to exceed 20percent because airlines are at full capacity under available traffic rightsand seats are limited, Klissada said.
Currently, ten airlinesare offering 311 flights with 65,128 seats a week from Thailand to 13 cities inIndia.
In addition, thegovernment has been urged to consider extending the 2,000-THB visa-on-arrivalfee waiver that ends on April 30, as Indians benefit from the policy.
India is a promising market for Thailand, with Indian tourists ranking in thetop three in international arrivals last year and in the top five highestcontributing markets by revenue.
Tourism is a major source of revenue for Thailand, worthabout one fifth of the economy. Meanwhile, earnings from foreign touristscontribute some 12 percent to the GDP./.
VNA
