Int'l visitors to Thailand likely to meet 28m target in 2015

BANGKOK, February 26 (TNA) - The number of international tourist arrivals in Thailand is expected to reach 28 million this year, as targeted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul told an international seminar on trends and challenges of Thai tourism-related businesses in the digital age, held at Bangkok University on Thursday, that she believed the international visitors to Thailand should meet the target this year, when her ministry focuses on attracting more quality international tourists with high purchasing power, namely those from India. Kobkarn pointed out that the domestic tourism has expanded by over 20 per cent since early this year and she was, thus, confident the targeted 28 million international tourist arrivals in the Thai Kingdom should be met in 2015. Kobkarn noted that Thailand is a major destination for wedding ceremonies, shopping sprees and social or business gatherings among quality international tourists with high purchasing power, like Indian nationals, saying that her ministry plans to attract more Indian women to beauty salons, as well as culinary and even boxing schools in Thailand this year. The minister foresaw that the number of Indian visitors to Thailand this year should, therefore, reach one million for the first time. The minister acknowledged, however, that there are many challenges for the tourism industry currently due to growing competition among rival countries, suggesting that Thailand, through local universities and public and private agencies concerned, produce and develop more human resources to serve the expanding tourism sector. (TNA)