Published on November 1, 2025

Thailand’s tourism manufacture is grappling pinch lower-than-expected overseas arrivals, pinch projections for this twelvemonth now group astatine 32 million visitors, a diminution from 35.5 million successful 2024. This alteration is owed to respective factors, including reduced arrivals from awesome markets specified arsenic China, Malaysia, and South Korea, which are falling short of first targets. To reside these challenges, cardinal tourism bodies are advocating for much authorities support successful nan shape of tax incentives for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) organizers and further formation promotions to pull world tourists.
Thailand’s Declining Tourist Numbers and nan Need for Action
The Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) has highlighted nan downward inclination successful tourism numbers, peculiarly from markets that were erstwhile awesome contributors to Thailand’s tourism revenue. China alone, erstwhile a ascendant root of visitors, is projected to lend 4.6 million arrivals, falling short of nan 5 million target group by nan Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Similarly, Malaysia and South Korea, which are typically awesome sources of visitors, are besides expected to station numbers beneath those of past year.
Despite these challenges, location is optimism for adjacent year, acknowledgment to large-scale world events scheduled successful Thailand. Among these are nan Amway China conference, expected to tie 13,000 participants, and nan IMF-World Bank meeting, pinch much than 10,000 attendees. These events connection a imaginable boost to Thailand’s tourism industry, particularly if further support measures are implemented.
TCEB Proposes Measures to Stimulate MICE Sector Growth
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has been actively discussing imaginable solutions pinch stakeholders successful nan tourism and MICE sectors. The bureau is pushing for nan preamble of “Quick Win” measures, including tax incentives aliases soft loans for MICE organizers and venue operators who are still recovering from nan pandemic’s financial impacts. These measures are intended to promote nan statement of caller events, some ample and small, passim nan country.
One of nan cardinal proposals from TCEB is to connection subsidies for caller events and promote nationalist organizations to big their meetings successful location destinations extracurricular of Bangkok, frankincense promoting tourism crossed nan country. Additionally, location are calls for an summation successful nan fund for public assemblage meetings, peculiarly for accommodation, which has remained capped astatine 1,200 baht per night for complete a decade. With accommodation costs rising importantly successful caller years, nan existing fund is nary longer sufficient.
Boosting International Events and Hybrid Trade Shows
Another connection from manufacture leaders is to usage a mini fund to shape hybrid aliases online waste and acquisition shows. These integer platforms are seen arsenic an effective measurement to pull caller markets, peculiarly those successful India and nan Middle East, some of which are experiencing accelerated maturation successful position of business tourism.
The tourism bodies besides advocator for more formation promotions to stimulate request for aerial recreation to Thailand. This could impact offering heavily discounted flights aliases moreover free tickets for tourists, depending connected nan disposable budget. These efforts are designed to support a betterment successful tourer numbers, particularly successful nan look of declining arrivals from accepted markets.
What Should Travelers Know?
For travelers readying trips to Thailand, it’s basal to enactment updated connected immoderate imaginable changes successful tourism promotions aliases incentives that mightiness make recreation much affordable. If you’re considering attending immoderate MICE events, particularly ample conferences aliases exhibitions, beryllium alert that these events could beryllium supported by government-backed incentives designed to promote some world and location attendance.
As Thailand looks to retrieve from nan tourism slump, visitors whitethorn besides use from discounts and recreation promotions that could make their acquisition much enjoyable and cost-effective.
Thailand’s Tourism Strategy for 2026 and Beyond
Looking forward, nan attraction for Thailand will beryllium connected sustaining growth by continuing to pull ample world events while besides diversifying its markets. The extremity is to stabilize nan tourism assemblage successful 2026 by attracting caller visitors from Asia, Europe, and beyond, and ensuring that Thailand remains a competitory destination for MICE tourism.
In addition, initiatives targeting emerging tourism markets successful India, nan Middle East, and moreover Africa will beryllium important for expanding Thailand’s world scope and broadening its tourism guidelines beyond accepted destinations.
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