Thailand is targeting more than 20 billion baht (US$601 million) in additional tourism spending through a domestic travel stimulus.
The government plans to spend about 4 billion baht to subsidize hotel stays and other tourism expenses, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said as cited by Bloomberg.
The package, covering one million entitlements, is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet on Sept. 22, Bangkok Post reported.
The measure reflects Thailand’s growing reliance on domestic travelers to support tourism, a major source of jobs and foreign exchange for Thailand.
Tourists visit the Grand Palace, one of the top tourist attraction spots in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 7, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Thailand received 21.7 million foreign tourists through Sept. 12, down 3.4% from a year earlier.
Their spending fell 1.9% to 1.06 trillion baht.