Tourism and tourism-related activities during this year’s festive season are expected to generate about 54.4 billion baht in revenue, a 44% increase over last year, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool.
Spending by about 1.1 million foreign tourists through the Christmas to New Year period is estimated at about 41.7 billion baht, up 60% from the same period last year. Thapanee said that this being attributed to the increase in flights to Thailand in December, from 3.3 million to 3.7 million seats.
She also said that revenues from domestic tourism during the festive season are estimated at about 12.7 billion baht, up 11%from the same period last year as, about 3.76 million Thais travelled for celebrations.
In Bangkok, spectacular countdown events, featuring firework displays and other activities, at the Central World and Icon Siam high-end shopping malls and Wat Arun were packed, last night, with both Thai and foreign revellers. There were similar celebrations around the country.
The management of the Icon Siam mall limited the number of people allowed into the mall to watch the fireworks display on New Year’s Eve and many had to be turned away.
In Pattaya, Poramet Ngampichet, the city’s mayor, said that he expects that the New Year countdown event and other activities would generate about 3 billion baht in revenues over the festive season.
(source: Thai PBS World)
