Cashing in on the growing popularity of destination weddings and exotic honeymoons, Thailand hopes to boost its tourism revenue by targeting high-spending groups for the same from India.
Famous for its white-sand beaches and nightlife, Thailand hopes to tap into “pent-up demand” from the multi-billion-dollar Indian wedding industry, Tourism Authority of Thailand deputy governor Siripakorn Cheawsamoot told Reuters in an interview this week.
“Data from the last two years showed that many Indian couples got married but couldn’t find honeymoon locations … or held back on getting married because they wanted to have their reception overseas including in Thailand,” he said on Tuesday.
About 60% of Indian destination weddings in Thailand were those of residents of India, while the remainder were from overseas Indian families, he said, so Thai tourism representatives in Mumbai and New Delhi are expanding partnerships with wedding planners.
Siripakron expects tourists will be spending at least 48,000 baht per trip this year and in 2023 he hopes that number will rise to 50,000 baht per trip, helped by other high-spending segments like medical tourism and executives choosing to work remotely in Thailand. The government will also extend some tourist visas from 15 to 30 days starting in October as traveller behaviour changes to favour longer stays due to expensive flights and low availability, he said.
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