Thailand expects five million tourists in 2021
Even though it is still unclear whether and when Covid-19 vaccines will be globally available and if and how the international travel and tourism industry will rebound, Thai tourism officials are already making forecasts about how many tourists will visit the country in 2021.
According to latest predictions that factor in a gradual opening of countries and streamlined regulations about Covid-19 testing, vaccination and quarantine, the ministry predicts that five million foreign visitors will come to Thailand next year.
This is a far cry from the nearly 40 million in 2019 and probably not enough to bring the shattered industry back on its feet, experts note. These masses of tourists last year officially spent 1.91 trillion baht ($63 billion), or about 11.3 per cent of gross domestic product, and probably much more in bill-free transactions.
But from January to October 2020, the number of foreign tourists in Thailand dropped by 79.5 per cent to 6.69 million. There were zero tourists recorded in April-September.
A total of 1,201 foreign tourists were reported in October after a ban imposed in April aimed at averting coronavirus outbreaks ended and the country gradually opened up to a select number of visitors to help its struggling, tourism-reliant economy.
The Thai economy contracted 6.4 per cent in the third quarter from a year earlier after the second quarter’s massive 12.1 per cent slump as most virus restrictions were eased, but an absence of tourists is limiting the recovery.
Travel bubbles with China could boost visitor numbers
Tourism ministry data showed the latest October visitors included 471 from China, 231 from neighbouring Cambodia, 178 from Middle East countries and 116 from Europe. All of them traveled on special 90-day visas that require two-week quarantine.
Thailand now plans to restart talks with China on a travel bubble to boost visitor numbers. But Beijing has yet to agree to any such arrangements after previous plans were abandoned in August after coronavirus cases in Asia increased.
New outbreaks have seen several other travel bubbles between Asia-Pacific countries being aborted or fail to take off, including between New Zealand and Australia, and Hong Kong and Singapore.
As of November 26, Thailand had a total of 3,942 coronavirus infections, of which 3,788 recovered and 60 people died.
Those were the days: A plane full of tourists lands on Koh Samui Even though it is still unclear whether and when Covid-19 vaccines will be globally available and if and how the international travel and tourism industry will rebound, Thai tourism officials are already making forecasts about how many tourists will visit the country in 2021. According to latest predictions that factor in a gradual opening of countries and streamlined regulations about Covid-19 testing, vaccination and quarantine, the ministry predicts that five million foreign visitors will come to Thailand next year. This is a far cry from the nearly...
Even though it is still unclear whether and when Covid-19 vaccines will be globally available and if and how the international travel and tourism industry will rebound, Thai tourism officials are already making forecasts about how many tourists will visit the country in 2021.
According to latest predictions that factor in a gradual opening of countries and streamlined regulations about Covid-19 testing, vaccination and quarantine, the ministry predicts that five million foreign visitors will come to Thailand next year.
This is a far cry from the nearly 40 million in 2019 and probably not enough to bring the shattered industry back on its feet, experts note. These masses of tourists last year officially spent 1.91 trillion baht ($63 billion), or about 11.3 per cent of gross domestic product, and probably much more in bill-free transactions.
But from January to October 2020, the number of foreign tourists in Thailand dropped by 79.5 per cent to 6.69 million. There were zero tourists recorded in April-September.
A total of 1,201 foreign tourists were reported in October after a ban imposed in April aimed at averting coronavirus outbreaks ended and the country gradually opened up to a select number of visitors to help its struggling, tourism-reliant economy.
The Thai economy contracted 6.4 per cent in the third quarter from a year earlier after the second quarter’s massive 12.1 per cent slump as most virus restrictions were eased, but an absence of tourists is limiting the recovery.
Travel bubbles with China could boost visitor numbers
Tourism ministry data showed the latest October visitors included 471 from China, 231 from neighbouring Cambodia, 178 from Middle East countries and 116 from Europe. All of them traveled on special 90-day visas that require two-week quarantine.
Thailand now plans to restart talks with China on a travel bubble to boost visitor numbers. But Beijing has yet to agree to any such arrangements after previous plans were abandoned in August after coronavirus cases in Asia increased.
New outbreaks have seen several other travel bubbles between Asia-Pacific countries being aborted or fail to take off, including between New Zealand and Australia, and Hong Kong and Singapore.
As of November 26, Thailand had a total of 3,942 coronavirus infections, of which 3,788 recovered and 60 people died.
