Thailand received 11.15 million foreign visitors in 2022 beating govt's target

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Thailand welcomed 11.15 million foreign tourists in the first half of 2022, beating the government’s target of 10 million for the year as well as previous years, Tourism and Sports Ministry data showed on Tuesday. More than 7 percent of Thailand's total arrivals in the first six months were from abroad. The country received 2.1 million visitors from Japan in the first half of 2022, up by 14 percent compared to the same period last year and breaking a record for that country’s presence in Thailand. Thailand also set a new record with arrivals from China (2.3 million), South Korea (856 thousand) and India (739 thousand).

BANGKOK:

Foreign tourists to Thailand reached a record high of 11.15 million in the first half of the year, a rise of 8.1 percent compared to the same period last year, the Tourism and Sports Ministry said on Tuesday. The numbers included those going through the visa-on-arrival program.

CHIANG MAI:

Chiang Mai received nearly a million visitors in the first half of the year, a rise of 10.6 percent compared to the same period last year. “This is the highest one-year figure in the past 10 years,” Chiang Mai Tourism Development Co Ltd said.

PHUKET:

Phuket welcomed 7.9 million tourists in the first half of the year, a rise of 2.6 percent from the same period last year. Phuket’s domestic tourism market was valued at 732 billion baht in the first half of the year, a rise of 3.2 percent from the same period of the previous year, statistics from the Tourism and Sports Ministry showed.

DEVELOPING DESTINATIONS:

Visitors from South Asia and Southeast Asia are anticipated to continue to grow at a solid rate through 2022. India, Myanmar, and Malaysia are expected to be the fastest-growing source markets in the Asia-Pacific region. In the Middle East and North Africa, Algeria, Egypt, and Jordan are projected to register the highest growth rates. In Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya are expected to remain the fastest-growing source markets.

INDIA:

In the first half of the year, India received 4.5 million tourists, up by 8.5 percent compared to the same period last year. “The figures also indicate that the year is off to a good start, with tourist arrivals from this market projected to reach nearly four million by the end of the year,” Tourism and Sports Minister Winapte Wijeratne said.

JAPAN:

Japan received 2.8 million tourists in the first half of the year, up by 4.9 percent compared to the same period last year and breaking a record for that country’s presence in Thailand.

SOUTH KOREA:

South Korea received 1.6 million tourists in the first half of the year, down by 1.5 percent compared to the same period last year. In the first half of the year, Thailand received more than 7 million foreign visitors, up by 11.15 million tourists or 8.1 percent.

CONCLUSION

The growth in arrivals from the Asia-Pacific region is expected to continue at a strong pace in the coming years, driven by increasing travel volumes in key source markets, improved travel infrastructure, and favorable exchange rates. Asia-Pacific region is expected to remain the leading source market for tourism to Thailand in the coming years.