TAT to lure tourists year-round

Special campaign for Chiang Mai underway

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will launch campaigns to promote tourism in Chiang Mai all year round.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT governor, said on Saturday tourism in Chiang Mai has picked up since the easing of the Covid-19 pandemic. From January to November last year, Chiang Mai welcomed about 9.4 million visitors, up 24% from the same period in 2022.

About 73% of the visitors were local tourists and the rest international tourists. The top five sources of international visitors are China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, she said.

Earnings from the tourism industry also rose 47% to 75.11 billion baht during the first nine months of last year. TAT expects the earnings from tourists will rise this year too, thanks to the government’s policy to open Chiang Mai International Airport around the clock, which started last December.

At present, the airport handles 606 flights per month. The top direct flights are from China — including direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu.

TAT also will introduce tourism routes targeting family visitors, including routes to explore sacred temples and local communities, she said.

The agency will also introduce an “all-year” tourism promotion to lure visitors to Chiang Mai throughout the year, especially during the rainy season when numbers typically fall off.

“We will have a Chiang Mai Festival City to promote events and tourism activities in Chiang Mai every month,” she said.

TAT also plans to promote Chiang Mai as a workation and digital nomad destination to attract more international tourists, she said. The authority plans to use its media networks and online influencers to help build public awareness of the matter, she said.