Thailand plans year-end flight subsidies to support foreign tourism
Thailand recorded 25.5 million foreign arrivals through October, down 4.6 per cent from a year earlier, against an annual target of 33 million.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to use some of its emergency funding to support international tourism in the year's final two months, including subsidies to help sustain scheduled and charter air services.
Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said airlines were reducing flights to the Middle East as conflict continued in the region. She warned that the unresolved situation could weigh on travellers' confidence globally.
The planned support would cover all foreign markets. Thapanee said eligibility rules would resemble those used for Thailand Summer Blast, including minimum aircraft occupancy requirements and an assessment of whether a route is new. The subsidies could complement events aimed at overseas visitors, including Vijit Chaophraya, Tomorrowland and EDC Phuket.
Thapanee said nearby markets offered more scope for adding flights because travellers could make decisions more quickly. Chiravadee Khunsub, TAT's deputy governor overseeing Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, said long-haul schedules were largely fixed well before the season, making rapid capacity increases harder.
For long-haul markets, Chiravadee said TAT would assess unsold seats and work with airlines on promotional fares. Thailand registered 25.5 million foreign arrivals by October 31, a year-on-year decline of 4.6 per cent. Reaching TAT's annual goal of 33 million would require more than 7 million further arrivals in under two months.
