Bangkok: The Minister of Tourism confirms that 'Thai Travel Plus' will begin this October, confident that it will generate 5 billion baht in revenue.
According to Thai News Agency, the Minister of Tourism and Sports revealed that the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has informed the Cabinet that the conditions for the "Thai Travel Plus" project are being finalized. The project is expected to generate 5 billion baht in revenue and is believed to boost tourist numbers in the last quarter.
Mr. Surasak Panjaroenvorakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, gave an interview after the Cabinet meeting regarding the progress of the "Thai Travel Plus" project. He stated that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports had not yet presented the matter to the Cabinet, but the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) reported on the economic situation, including the "Thai Travel Plus" project, to the Cabinet meeting. Currently, the conditions for using funds in the project are being finalized to meet the October 1st deadline, as planned. A thorough review will be conducted. Simultaneously, feedback from the hotel association, which wants the project to be implemented by September, is being considered. Therefore, efforts will be made to finalize the spending plan and project timeline by September.
Mr. Surasak stated that the estimated budget for the first phase of this project is 1,750 million baht. If the project is successful, a next phase will be considered to stimulate domestic tourism. He acknowledged that the domestic tourism situation has slowed down somewhat, but figures have improved after the energy crisis. Meanwhile, the number of foreign tourists has decreased by 2-3%. The Ministry of Tourism forecasts the overall number of foreign tourists to be over 33 million, and believes that the number will increase in the last quarter of the year. The opening of new airlines from various countries is also expected to attract more foreign tourists.
When asked by reporters how much the "Thai Tourism Plus" project would stimulate domestic spending, Mr. Surasak said that it was expected to generate at least 5 billion baht in revenue. The tourism sector, including hotels, accommodations, and other tourism businesses, would receive a comprehensive stimulus.