The cabinet has approved Thailand’s national tourism development master plan 2012- 2016, which targets to turn Thailand into one of the top 5 destinations in Asia.
According to Thailand’s Government Public Relations Department, the objective of the National Tourism Development Plan is to move Thailand’s tourism competitiveness up at least 15 places, which would put it among the top five destinations in Asia.
In order to achieve this aim, five strategies have been set for implementation:
• Develop infrastructure and logistics, linking with domestic and international tourism.
• Development and rehabilitation of tourism sites and improvement of various rules and regulations to enhance the country’s potential for accommodating more tourist arrivals.
• Development of the creative economy, which is the focus in the 11th National Economic and Social Development Plan, 2012-2016. New products and services will be launched, while incentives for tourism trade and investment will be offered and human resource development will be emphasized.
• Create confidence in Thailand’s good image among visitors, so that the country will welcome a greater number of tourists who will spend more in Thailand.
• Participation of the public sector, civil society, and local administrative organizations in tourism management.
Thailand’s tourism sector made a full recovery in 2010 following the impacts of global recession of political uncertainty, with approximately 15 million arrivals in 2010, and earnings which have grown to 586 billion baht, or about 11.9% on average over the past five years.
The BOI offers attractive investment incentives for many tourism related activities; incentives that include tax and import duty exemptions for those who qualify. At nearly 14% of GDP, the tourism industry is set to get even stronger!
