Travel show Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2023 was a resounding hit, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand, after both the numer of local sellers and international buyers exceeded the expected quota.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand on Thursday said that TTM+ 2023 is expected to generate THB3.4 billion, or around USD97.1 million, in income for the kingdom’s tourism industry.
“The number of both sellers and buyers attending TTM+ 2023 surpassed the targets set, as did the number of overall business appointments conducted throughout the show. It was the strong growth in participants that reflected the positive rebound in Thailand tourism,” TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said.
TTM+ is an annual trade fair and exhibition that promotes Thailand’s tourism industry. It serves as a platform for travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers, airlines, and other tourism-related businesses to showcase their products and services to potential buyers from around the world.
Sellers from Thailand and the Greater Mekong sub-region came in at 429, beating the target of 400 people and showing an increase of 62% compared to the year before.
Meanwhile, a total of 374 buyers attended from 50 different countries. This beat the target of 350 buyers and represented an increase of 66% from the year prior.
The show’s theme this year was “Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters”. This comes as the Southeast Asian country pushes towards “a meaningful travel direction and increased focus on sustainable tourism”.
It is expected that business secured through TTM+ 2023 will convert to over 71,325 visitor arrivals to Thailand, TAT said.
This was the 20th edition of the annual show. TTM+ 2023 took place from May 31 to June 2.
Earlier this year, Thailand beat its target for tourist arrivals after recording 6.2 million visitors in the first three months of the year, compared to the 6.0 million expected.
Between 25 to 30 million arrivals are expected in 2023, according to the government. This is below pre-pandemic levels of 39.8 million in 2019, according to data from Statista, but still a major improvement from 2022’s 11.2 million arrivals.
Earlier this week, Asia and Pacific members of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation reiterated their support for a common vision of sustainable tourism in the region as it recovers from the global pandemic.
