WTTC chairman Gerald Lawless said Thailand could double the number of international tourists again over the next 20 years, having attracted 32.5 million foreign arrivals a year in recent times compared with less than 10 million 17 years ago. "Thailand's growth opportunity is immense because the country has a fantastic tourism industry," Mr Lawless said. In 2017, Thailand tourism is forecast to grow by 6.9% and rise by an average of 6.5% a year over the next decade to 5.9 trillion baht. Mr Lawless said the common travel area and common visa, once in place, will help strengthen the Asean community's tourism competitiveness in the long run. The WTTC report said travel and tourism contribute US$7.2 trillion (249 trillion baht) to global output and support 284 million jobs.

Source: Bangkok Post April 29, 2017 00:00 UTC