"Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018" expected to boost domestic tourism revenues

BANGKOK, October 12 (TNA) - As the "Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018" will be officially launched in mid-November 2017, the government expects the new tourism campaign should considerably boost domestic tourism revenues from the world's third top rank currently. Deputy Prime Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn, who oversees domestic tourism, sports and culture, told journalists that after the official launch of the "Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018" on November 15, 2017, the first activity as part of the new campaign will be the Air Race 1 World Cup 2017, started on November 17 and hosted for the first time in Asia by the Thai Kingdom. General Tanasak said that another highlighted activity of the "Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018" will be the MotoGP, set to be held in Buriram Province in the Thai Northeast in October 2018, during which about 200,000 lovers of the World Grand Prix are expected to visit the country's northeastern and other regions. "Thailand has signed an agreement to host the MotoGP 2018-2020 and relevant government agencies have discussed with private operators of restaurants, hotels and other tourism-related businesses, particularly those in 19 northeastern Thai provinces, in preparations for welcoming the global visitors", the deputy prime minister revealed. The deputy prime minister targeted that the "Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018" should boost the country's domestic tourism-related revenues from the world's third top rank and the world's ninth top rank in terms of the number of international tourist arrivals. The deputy prime minister expressed his hope that the Thai Northeast's position as the world's 17th top popular tourist destination currently, ranked by the CNN world news, should also be raised after its host of the MotoGP 2018-2020. According to the deputy prime minister, the Thai government has prepared security measures for the international tourists, including those visiting the country during the Royal Cremation period of late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej this month. The deputy premier, meanwhile, foresaw that a recent decision by The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to withdraw its "red-flag" warning on Thailand's aviation safety standard in terms of the issuance of the air operator certificates (AOCs) should also help boost the number of international visitors to the Thai Kingdom from now on. (TNA)