The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) believes foreign tourist arrivals will reach a target of 14.8 million this year despite a lower estimate of the number of Asian tourists.

Governor Phornsiri Manoharn yesterday said the figure of 14.8 million total international tourist arrivals was 8 per cent higher than a previous target.

However, she said Asian tourists this year in major markets like Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and China were expected to decrease from last year.

A series of bombs in Bangkok since last New Year's Eve and political unrest are the main reasons for the decline.

Phornsiri said new emerging markets like the Middle East, Eastern Europe, New Zealand, the Americas and Africa would be up from last year.

The TAT said the number of tourist arrivals at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the first four months of the year surged 2.6 per cent year on year. The Middle East and Russia were the highest-growing markets, due to an increase in flights.

In order to attract more tourists, the TAT is planning to open foreign offices in the UAE, Russia and Vietnam this year.

"These countries are emerging markets for Thailand. The TAT expects to increase Vietnamese arrivals from 227,000 in 2006 to 267,000 this year. Russians are expected to surpass this year's target of 187,000," said Phornsiri.

"Operators in the Middle East are introducing new destinations like Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Udon Thani, Mae Hong Son, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Rai. These will help Thailand gain more Arab tourists," said the governor.

The TAT hopes total tourists from the Middle East will increase 7.9 per cent to 417,000 visitors this year.

The TAT and 48 private tour operators participated in the Arabian Travel Mart 2007 earlier this month in Dubai, with a huge number of tour bookings to Thailand reported.

Tourism and Sports Minister Suvit Yodmani has also spoken with the CEO of the Emirates Group, operator of Emirates Airline, and land operators about increasing the number flights between Bangkok and Dubai.

The TAT plans to hold a road show in three Japanese cities in the second half of the year aimed at encouraging Japanese to return to Thailand.

Moreover, the TAT and Bangkok Shuho, a Japanese newspaper in Thailand, are scheduled to hold the Thai-Japanese President Cup 2007 in Thailand on Saturday. The golf competition is part of celebrations for the 120th anniversary of the Thai-Japanese relations and to promote tourism between the two countries.

The TAT will also hold two annual tourism fairs: the Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF) and the Thailand Travel Mart Plus Mekong Subregion (TTM), both in the Challenger Hall at Impact Muang Thong Thani from June 7-10.

The TTF is aimed at encouraging local tourists to travel in-country by offering lower prices on tourism products and services, while the TTM is intended to attract international tourists to Thailand and other countries along the Mekong River.

About 315 sellers from Thailand and Greater Mekong Subregion countries are expected to participate in the TTM. They include 224 hotels, five airlines, eight ecotourism and adventure-tour operators, 18 medical- and health-tourism facilities, national tourist organisations and other services, 29 tour operators and 31 other companies.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation