Thailand Tourism Festival generates over Bt300m revenues

BANGKOK, January 20 (TNA) - The state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has reported that the "Thailand Tourism Festival 2016", organised at Lumpini Park in Bangkok last week, attracted up to 670,000 international visitors and generated over 300 million baht tourism-related revenues, while also helping stimulate the domestic tourism. The beauty of local wisdom, arts and cultures showed at the event appeared to impress the international visitors and encouraged them to visit the real tourist destinations in all Thai regions. The over-300 million baht- revenues generated at the event were about 35 per cent higher than last year's festival, as most visitors spent their money on buying food and beverages at the event, followed by hand-made crafts and community-based products. The most popular zone at the Thailand Tourism Festival 2016 was the Villages of Five Thai Regions, in which local products and food, as well as arts and cultures from each region were displayed, with those of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Krabi and Prachuap Khiri Khan slated as top favourite provinces of the international visitors. According to TAT, the "Thailand Tourism Festival 2016" was organised in line with the government's policy on promoting the domestic tourism amid vulnerable global economic conditions. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said, meanwhile, that he believes the festival should help stimulate and promote tourism of all Thai regions, which would distribute income to local communities and sustain domestic tourism. (TNA)