Asian countries are engaged in fierce competition for the Thai outbound travel market, banking on increased flight capacity compared with last year.
According to the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), the Thai outbound market this year could recover to half of the 11.2 million departures recorded in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, as flight frequencies strengthen in Asia.
Chotechuang Soorangura, vice-president of TTAA, said Asia remains the most attractive destination for outbound tourists during the first half of the year, comprising almost 70% of all outbound trips from Thailand.
Cindy Chen, director of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau office in Bangkok, said the outlook for Thai tourists is positive, with a gradual recovery every month.
The bureau expects the Thai market this year to rebound to 80% of the level posted in 2019, roughly 320,000 tourists, thanks to strong flight resumption and a NT$5,000 giveaway campaign running until the end of this month.
She said Taiwan is planning to extend its free visa offer for Thais after the current exemption expires on July 31.
During the first quarter, Thai tourists to Taiwan tallied 83,000 and were among the top 10 source markets.
Taiwan targets 6 million foreign visitors this year.
In 2019, Southeast Asian visitors to Taiwan totalled 2.7 million, almost a quarter of all foreign visitors, contributing US$3.6 billion or 25% of its total tourism revenue. Thai tourists spent around US$420 million in Taiwan in 2019.
Ms Chen said the NT$5,000 giveaway has helped lure more Thai tourists in the past month, as that amount can cover average expenditure for a trip in Taiwan. Excluding airfare and accommodation, Thai tourists spent around 1,200 baht per day for four to six days in Taiwan.
The number of flights between Taiwan and Thailand has resumed to almost 90% of the pre-pandemic level.
Hsueh Hsiu-Mei, deputy representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, said even though inflation affected everywhere in the world, tourists are still eager to spend while travelling.
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau created a marketing plan to attract more Thai tourists to secondary destinations and increase their average length of stay.
The bureau recently launched a new campaign dubbed "All is just right in Taiwan" to promote the destination with offerings including local dishes, shopping and natural attractions. The attractions include Kaohsiung, known for its Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, and Sun Moon Lake.
