Thailand tourism grows with government backing

A new study released by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that Travel & Tourism in Thailand is one of the country’s strongest performing sectors.

Business and leisure travel directly contributed THB1.3 trillion (USD$37 billion) to Thailand’s GDP in 2016, which is higher than all other eight sectors researched in the study.

When you take the contribution from direct, indirect, and induced income, the tourism sector provided THB2.9 trillion (USD$83 billion), making it larger than mining, construction, chemicals manufacturing, financial services, agriculture, and banking.

The WTTC Benchmarking Report 2017 compares Travel & Tourism to eight other sectors, which are considered to have similar breadth and global presence, across 27 countries and six regions.

Growth forecast

Travel & Tourism GDP is expected to grow at an annual average of 6.7% over the next decade, which is a four percentage points faster than the country’s total economy growth predicted at 2.7% and significantly higher than the forecast for agriculture at 1.1% and mining at 2%. The sector directly supported 5.7 million jobs in 2016, which is 15% of all jobs in the country.

David Scowsill, president and CEO, WTTC, said: “It is not news that Travel & Tourism is one of the strongest performing sectors in Thailand. Providing nearly 21% of the country’s GDP, the business and leisure travel market creates jobs and generates economic wealth.”

Scowsill said the Thai government understood the socioeconomic benefits of the travel industry, and was committed to the necessary investment in infrastructure.

“Prime Minister H.E. Prayut Chan-o-cha and Minister of Tourism and Sport H. E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul are strong believers in the importance of the tourism sector,” he explained.

“Together with the Governor of Tourism Authority Thailand, Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, they brought the WTTC Global Summit to Bangkok this past April, which demonstrated to the world how the country is progressing as a top international destination and as a key entry point for ASEAN countries.

“As our sector continues to grow in Thailand, the government focus on sustainability and security is key, as outlined in the National Tourism Development Plan. We commend the Thai government for their resilience and commitment to invest in tourism, as this will ensure that more leisure travellers will come to visit the beautiful country.”