Tourism Ministry Expects 20 Billion Baht Spent in Songkran Festival

BANGKOK, March 28 (TNA) -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry projected that about 20 billion baht will be spent during the Songkran Festival in April while the ministry is continuously promoting secondary tourism provinces after seeing their significant tourism income growth of 9% last year. Worawit Techasupakoon, vice minister of tourism and sports, said government and private organizations planned Songkran celebration events in primary and secondary tourism provinces. This year, he said, special promotions continued for secondary tourism provinces and such promotions would also happen in major tourist destinations that were used as gateways to secondary tourism provinces which could meet demand of particular categories of tourists, he said. According to Mr Worawit, about 550,000 foreign tourists will arrive for the Songkran Festival and will spend 5,800 baht per person per day, up 4% from last year. That will generate 10-billion-baht national income. Regarding domestic tourism, 3 million tourists/trips will happen in the upcoming festival and generate national income worth 10 billion baht. The overall income worth 20 billion baht will show a 14% year-on-year growth rate. The growth will result from the increasingly diversified behaviors of tourists and their greater interest in local cultures and lifestyles. Promotions for secondary tourism provinces met the interest, Mr Worawit said. The numbers of Thai and foreign visitors to secondary tourism provinces rose by 5% and tourism income of the provinces went up by 9%, he said. (TNA)