Number of tourists in Thailand exceeded forecast
2023.01.24 03:12
Number of tourists in Thailand exceeded forecast
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – According to data released by the tourism ministry on Tuesday, Thailand received 11.15 million foreign visitors in 2022, up from just about 428,000 the year before, when broad travel restrictions were in place.
The figures, which were higher than the goal set by the government, show a good turnaround as Thailand tries to revive its important tourism industry, which was hit hard by its strict entry and quarantine policies during the pandemic.
2.24 million foreign tourists visited the country in December, up from 230,497 the previous year.
A record number of nearly 40 million foreign tourists visited the United States in 2019 before the pandemic.
According to the ministry, Thailand’s top three source markets were India, Singapore, and Malaysia.
The government anticipates 25 million visitors from abroad in 2023, with at least five million coming from China, Thailand’s largest source market prior to the pandemic.
Thailand’s vital tourism industry, which prior to the pandemic accounted for approximately 12% of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, is expected to benefit even more from China’s reopening.
