BANGKOK — Thailand celebrated the arrival of its 10
millionth international visitor of 2022 on Saturday, according to the tourism
authority, as the kingdom consolidated the recovery of its
COVID-battered
travel sector.
اضافة اعلان
Thailand welcomed some 40 million people in 2019, but then
the pandemic hit and travel was decimated as nations tightened border controls
to contain the virus.
With those restrictions easing worldwide
Thailand's travel
numbers have begun a slow recovery and the government expects to generate
nearly $16 billion in tourism revenue this year.
Traditional dancers and drummers at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi
International Airport on Saturday welcomed passengers arriving on a Saudi
Arabian Airlines flight that authorities believe clocked the 10-million
milestone.
"The sky is open," Thai Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-O-Cha said in a speech at the airport.
"We would like to build confidence that Thailand is
still one of the (top) tourist destinations of people around the world."
Finance minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said this week
that visitor numbers were expected to grow next year too.
Government figures suggest Thailand would welcome roughly 23
million tourists in 2023, while some analysts believe a full recovery in
tourist numbers could happen in 2024.
Thai hotel owners and restauranteurs have breathed a sigh of
relief as business has slowly picked up.
Marisa Sukosol, president of the Thai Hotels Association,
welcomed the 10 million travelers milestone "after two years and a half of
pain".
"I think next year we will see continuous momentum of
growth," she said, pointing to the return of tourists from Russia and
across the Asia-Pacific region.
But she cautioned against over-optimism — economic
stagnation as well as lingering pandemic threats continue to impact the tourism
sector.
While Thailand has benefited from the loosening of travel
restrictions by other nations, its tourism industry has also been affected by
the global economic slowdown and persistent inflation.
Recovery in the tourism sector is also heavily dependent on
China relaxing international travel rules, Thai officials have said.
China was previously the biggest source of foreign tourists
for Thailand.
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