Thailand launches sustainable tourism development strategy.

This tourism strategy was announced by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on June 6th at the opening ceremony of the first-ever Thailand Tourism Congress 2022, held on the popular resort island of Phuket.

According to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the “SMILE” strategy will help sustainably improve Thailand’s tourism industry and ensure that the country adapts to the changing world in all aspects. This is a stepping stone for Thailand to move towards its goal of becoming a medical tourism destination to boost the economy.

The “SMILE” strategy is formed from the first letters of the English names of the five objectives in the strategy.

These objectives include S - Sustainability, with a green and environmentally friendly development strategy; M - Manpower, aiming to raise the skills of the tourism workforce to international standards; I - Inclusive Economy, ensuring that all economic sectors participate in the development of the tourism industry; L - Localization, which leverages the unique characteristics of each community as a tourist attraction; and E - Ecosystem, focusing on promoting tourism and the local environment.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) forecasts that the country will welcome approximately 7-10 million foreign tourists this year after quarantine measures were lifted last month.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism industry contributed 3 trillion baht (over 2 trillion VND) to the Thai economy in 2019, accounting for 18% of the country's GDP. Of this, 2 trillion baht (over 1.3 trillion VND) came from foreign tourists (accounting for 12% of GDP) and 1 trillion baht (approximately 672 billion VND) from domestic tourism (accounting for 6% of GDP).

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao