Authorities are looking at cruise ships to support the recovery of the tourism sector, which will also be boosted by a new plan to cooperate with Netflix in launching a creative travel guide to attractive locations featured in movies, a government spokesman said yesterday.
Anucha Burapachaisri, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister, said the global market for the cruise industry was growing exponentially.
During the high season from October to March, cruise ships carrying an average 1,800-2,400 passengers typically make one-day stops in Thailand, Mr Anucha said, citing data from the tourism ministry.
These are considered high-value tourists, spending 4-10 times more than average, who show a preference for boat tours, Thai food, spas, cultural shows and souvenir buying. Thailand has upgraded its ports to accommodate cruise liners, resulting in a rise in the number of ships visiting here, the spokesman said.
In 2019, before the pandemic, revenue from this source was 4.84 billion baht.
The government is also looking to encourage new forms of tourism. State agencies recently joined hands with Netflix to launch Uncover Thailand: A Creative Travel Guide.
The show will spotlight locations featured in popular films and shows from Thailand and beyond on Netflix, Mr Anucha said, and promote Thai culture.
He said the prime minister was keen to promote new forms of tourism as well as Thailand’s “soft power”.
“This will have an economic and social value and provide opportunities for new businesses,” Mr Anucha said.
Meanwhile, the cabinet yesterday approved the Ministry of Culture’s proposal that pha khao ma, a traditional Thai chequered cloth, be listed as a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Traisuree Traisaranakul, a deputy government spokeswoman, said the cloth, 60-80 centimetres wide and 120-180cm long, and recognised for its checkerboard pattern, has long influenced Thai society and traditions.
The government will submit its proposal to Unesco’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the near future, she said.