The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) now predicts only 14 million to 16 million foreign visitors this year, down from 33.8 million projected in March.
The number of foreign tourists may plunge by almost two-thirds or 65% this year, the lowest level since 2006, as the coronavirus pandemic hits global travel.
In the January-March period, foreign tourist numbers in Thailand slumped 38% to 6.69 million, with the number of Chinese visitors down 60% to 1.25 million.
Last year’s foreign arrivals were a record 39.8 million and spending from foreign tourists amounted to 1.93 trillion baht, or 11% of gross domestic product.
The tourism authority is hoping foreign visitors will return to Thailand in October, the country’s high tourist season, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters.
Thailand has extended a ban on incoming passenger flights, imposed on April 4, until the end of May to try to curb the pandemic which has infected 3015 people in the country so far, with 56 deaths.
But Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism and sports minister, said today in the Bangkok Post that the TAT target may be too high.
“The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s [TAT] new target is 16 million arrivals this year, but I’m not optimistic we can reach that goal as international tourists will not come back before the fourth quarter. Compared with the last…
