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Thailand has unveiled its tourism strategy for 2027 under the ambitious banner of “The Year of Transformation.”
Those of us who have worked in Thai tourism for many years have heard plenty of strategies, slogans and campaigns. So rather than repeat the official language, I think there is a simpler question worth asking:
What will actually be different for the visitor in Thailand?
The Tourism Authority of Thailand wants tourism revenue to grow by at least 5 percent and is aiming for a 60:40 distribution between major and emerging destinations. It also talks repeatedly about attracting “high-value” travelers.
I understand the reasoning. Hotels naturally want higher room rates and greater revenue. Destinations want visitors who spend more.
But there is another side to this equation: High-value tourism does not necessarily mean high-priced tourism.
Going local
Only a few days ago, I took a short road trip with friends through Phetchaburi province, visiting Kaeng Krachan and Phetchaburi town.
Along the way, we stayed in local homestays, explored markets and attractions, enjoyed fantastic local food and, most importantly, met some wonderful local people. What struck me was not luxury in the conventional sense. It was the richness and authenticity of the experience.
Money was being spent locally. Visitors were interacting directly with communities. And, importantly, the experience represented excellent value for money. For repeat visitors to Thailand, this matters enormously.
Experienced travelers are not necessarily searching for a more expensive hotel or a more luxurious holiday. Often, they are simply searching for something new to discover.
A local market, a family-run restaurant, a homestay or a village festival can provide exactly that. Perhaps we should therefore broaden our definition of “high value”:
LOCAL EXPERIENCE
↓
AUTHENTIC CONNECTION
↓
LOCAL SPENDING
↓
MEMORABLE VISIT
↓
REASON TO RETURN
That, to me, is high-value tourism too.
A visitor can spend เธฟ100 on a memorable local meal and เธฟ10,000 on a hotel room during the same journey. Both contribute to Thailand’s tourism economy. More importantly, both can be part of an experience that makes someone want to come back.
The appeal of no-fly tourism
Another opportunity we sometimes overlook is that you don’t necessarily need to fly anywhere to have a great holiday.
International airfares can represent a substantial part of a holiday budget. For Thai travellers, expatriates and long-stay residents who call Thailand home, domestic travel offers an attractive alternative. The airlines may not thank me for saying it, but no-fly tourism is actually rather appealing.
Remove an expensive international airfare and suddenly there is more money available for accommodation, restaurants, local guides, markets and attractions. Much of that spending remains within Thailand and, potentially, within local communities.
A rewarding break does not always require an airport, a boarding pass or an immigration queue. Sometimes it simply means getting into a car or boarding a train. And Thailand is exceptionally well placed for this kind of travel.
Many repeat visitors already know Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Samui. The opportunity now is to encourage them to discover the Thailand between the famous names.
Those smaller towns, communities, national parks, markets and local restaurants may not always appear on the front cover of a tourism brochure, but they can deliver some of the country’s most memorable experiences.
Less jargon, more delivery
Tourism strategies inevitably come with their own vocabulary. TAT talks about reshaping markets, new growth engines and meaningful destinations.
Travelers ask much simpler questions:
Why should I go?
What will I experience?
Is it worth the money?
Will I feel welcome?
These are ultimately the questions that matter. My sister has an even simpler test for judging a good holiday. When you return home, she asks just one question:
“Would you go back?”
It is remarkably effective. If the answer is an immediate yes, the destination has probably got most things right. If the answer is “maybe” or “I’m not sure”, that return visit may never happen. I think that is as good a measure of tourism success as any.
After more than three decades working and writing in Thailand’s hospitality and tourism industry, I have come to believe that attracting someone once is only part of the job.
Giving them a reason to return is much more valuable.
Perhaps Thailand’s greatest opportunity in 2027 is therefore not simply persuading every tourist to spend more. It is creating experiences — in famous resorts, emerging destinations, small towns and local communities — that make visitors return home and say:
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