Thailand-Tourism: Muslim tourism interests the Buddhist kingdom
Thailand is expected to become a top destination for international Muslim tourists over the next half-decade. Deputy Thai government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek outlined the intention to attract more Muslim travellers, citing their growing numbers and increased ability to buy.
She pointed out in her August 18 announcement that Muslim tourists are a major segment of Thailand’s tourism industry.
These figures are based on data published by the Thai Ministry of Tourism (DoT). The average stay for a Muslim visitor is around 13 days, with each guest spending around 6,000 baht per day.
The DoT has put in place an ambitious five-year plan (2023-2027) to boost the kingdom’s appeal to Muslim tourists. This process aims to enhance the quality of services offered by tourism operators to meet international standards.
It includes the launch of halal goods, services and activities that meet the requirements of Muslim tourists, while using technology to simplify their journey.
The Ministry of Tourism is actively collaborating with other sectors to define strategies to present Thailand as a welcoming tourist location that respects Muslim conventions.
The strategic plan plans to propel the country into the list of top picks for Muslim travelers within the next five years, the deputy spokesperson said.
Currently, the Global Muslim Travel Index 2023, unveiled by Mastercard-Cresentrating, ranks Indonesia and Malaysia in first position jointly, followed by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Turkey. (Note: these top five tourist countries are all Muslim countries).
In a parallel report, the Tourism and Sports Economics Division of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports revealed that Thailand has welcomed more than 16.472 million international tourists so far this year. This influx brought the revenue generated by tourism to about 689 billion baht.
The main tourist groups behind this influx come first from the Muslim country of Malaysia (2,581,251), then from China (2,027,823), South Korea (982,328), India (947,431) and Russia (884,839).
Newsboy Thailand