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TOURISM

TAT governor predicts Thailand tourism will bounce back in second half of 2019

Yuthasak Suphasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says all is good for tourist arrivals in Thailand.

This article was originally found on The Thaiger.

Yuthasak Suphasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says all is good for tourist arrivals in Thailand.

He predicted that 9.7 million foreigners were expected to visit in Q3 (July to September), up 7% year-on-year. He reported that trends show that domestic and foreign tourists will be spending 820 billion baht. That would be 9% up on the same period last year.

Spending from foreigners alone, 530 billion baht, would represent an 11% increase on last year, according tot he TAT Governor.

Yuthasak forecast a fourth quarter rise in tourism numbers as well that would provide the TAT with figures by the end of 2019 that would exceed their predictions at the start of the year – over 40 million tourists.

His optimism is in contrast to ‘on the ground’ reports from some business operators in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya, even from local Thai tourism directors, that tourist numbers have slumped since March and are up to 30% down on last year.

But his rosy outlook on the Thai tourist industry is being supported by some operators who say their forward bookings in September and October are looking good at this stage with high season bookings strong at this stage.

Passenger and plane arrivals at Thailand’s airports also continue to post consistent numbers indicating that the past few month’s ‘slump’ may not turn into a trend. The visa-on-arrival fee waiver for tourists from 21 countries also continues.