TAT announces 2024 strategic direction towards high value and sustainability

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced the 2024 strategic direction that will continue to elevate the tourism supply and sustainable standards, as well as leverage Thai soft powers to promote and develop high-value and sustainable tourism in Thailand.

Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said, “2024 will be the year of accelerating resilience, transforming Thailand’s tourism into High Value and Sustainable Tourism that emphasises on elevating and moving forward to a better tourism ecosystem. To build a new ecosystem, we need to become less reliant on the number of tourists and focus more on increasing tourist spending, attracting quality tourists, developing the supply chain with our partners, and distributing income fairly to the local communities. We need to create a balance between economic wealth, social well-being, environmental wellness, and human wisdom.”

To strengthen the country’s tourism industry, TAT is committed to building tourism security with long-term immunity, so that the industry can face global polycrisis and keep moving forward.

The 4 key factors to create tourism security are:

1. Strengthen the supply chain with quality and sustainability to cater to the rising demand and distribute income to the local community fairly.
2. Develop factors supporting tourism and tourism infrastructure to create safe and smooth travel.
3. Leverage digital transformation through innovation and technology to create value-added and sustainability in the tourism industry.
4. Focus on external risk management effectively.

Elaborating on the initiative, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing, said, “TAT will continue to focus on creating and delivering ‘meaningful experiences’ to quality travellers with different demands in tourism experiences. To achieve this, TAT is concerned about the subculture movement and will strengthen partnerships at all angles with stakeholders and suppliers to drive Thailand’s tourism industry towards sustainability.”

International Market

For the international market, five directions have been devised to boost the overseas market-

1. Enhance the sustainability image of Thailand and utilise it as the country’s unique selling point, which aims to strengthen the awareness of the Kinnaree Brand (Thailand Tourism Awards) to international travellers
2. Penetrate emerging quality markets to focus on new markets in Europe and the Middle East region and other potential segments, such as Oya Rich, business travellers, and weddings and honeymoon
3. Seek new partners and expand collaboration with global partners, such as Tourism Cares, Alipay, and WeChat
4. Promote overland travelling via the high-speed train between the People’s Republic of China-Lao PDR-Thailand
5. Empower marketing with digital content, such as utilising virtual influencers to promote Thailand to Generation Z and Y to Thailand

Domestic Market

The domestic market promotion will be prioritised on stimulating Thais to travel in Thailand, increasing travel frequency, and distributing tourism income to the local communities, so as to generate income for all sectors equally. TAT will also showcase the strengths of Thailand Soft Power (5F) and highlight meaningful travel experiences across all five regions of Thailand:

• The ‘Northern Region’ invokes nostalgia through local arts and crafts and the soft power of the North
• The ‘Central Region’ highlights the happiness of travelling through 4HD or the 4 Happy Definitions, which aim to stimulate frequent travel in the Central Region
• The ‘Northeastern Region’ leverages the fabulous Isan food and the Michelin Guide to whet the domestic travel appetite to the Northeast
• The ‘Eastern Region’ highlights gastronomic delights, local beliefs, getaway destinations, and responsible tourism in the East
• The ‘Southern Region’ recommends an exciting array of food, nature, superstitions, and work from anywhere in the South

For marketing communication in 2024, the Amazing Thailand brand is being implemented for both the domestic and international markets. ‘Create Your Great Moment Now’ is the key concept, which is being conveyed to domestic tourists, while the ‘Meaningful Relationship’ is being communicated to international travellers to encourage them to engage in meaningful connections with the local people and community.

By synergising with the private sector, TAT will strengthen Thailand’s five soft powers under the Brand Collaboration: Amazing Thailand x 5F project.

“With the carefully planned 2024 strategic direction, TAT has set an overall revenue target in the best-case scenario of 3 trillion Baht. This constitutes 1.92 trillion Baht from international tourism and 1.08 trillion Baht from domestic tourism. TAT expects to welcome 35 million foreign tourists and inspire 200 million domestic trips in 2024,” Thapanee concluded.