Thailand has achieved a remarkable feat by ranking 8th on the list of the world's 50 most popular tourist destinations.
It is estimated that 39.1 million international tourists will visit Thailand this year, surpassing its Southeast Asian neighbors such as Malaysia (ranked 14th with 26.1 million tourists), Vietnam (ranked 21st with 18 million arrivals), Indonesia (ranked 27th), and Singapore (ranked 28th).
This data was obtained from WP Travel's analysis of Data Pandas, a provider of web plugins for tour operators, travel bookings, and trekking agencies.
Thailand has shown impressive tourism growth in the first quarter of 2024, outperforming Indonesia and Malaysia. The country recorded 40 million visitors in 2023 and 9.3 million in the first quarter of 2024.
This success is attributed to TAT's strategy, which focuses on attracting tourists to stay longer, visit beach destinations, and enjoy Bangkok's nightlife. The strategy also combines various types of tourism, such as adventure, beach, recreational, business, and meetings. TAT's strategic initiatives, including visa-free policies for 93 countries, have been significant factors in attracting international tourists.
The tourism industry in Southeast Asia experienced remarkable growth in 2023 and early 2024. Thailand led the way with over 40 million international tourists in 2023 and 9.3 million in the first quarter of 2024, showing a 44% increase.
Indonesia followed with 11.68 million international tourists in 2023 (a 98% increase from 2022) and 3 million in the first quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, Malaysia recorded 20.14 million visitors in 2023 and 5.8 million in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 32.5%.
Interestingly, Thailand became the most visited country despite offering visa-free entry to only 93 countries, compared to 134 countries for Malaysia and 169 countries for Indonesia.
