Committee greenlights TAT's proposals

The National Tourism Policy Committee has approved the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) proposal to seek visa exemptions for Mexican and Colombian visitors staying for under 30 days, while also endorsing the fourth National Tourism Development Plan, which targets 4 trillion baht in tourism revenue in 2032 and a top-30 ranking in the global Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI).

The committee meeting on Oct 30, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Suphajee Suthumpun, approved the draft National Tourism Development Plan for 2028-2032 under the theme "Driving Thai Tourism Towards Global Excellence".

The plan aims to transform Thailand into a world-class destination capable of generating at least 4 trillion baht in tourism revenue and improving its global TTDI ranking to the top 30, from 38th this year.

Five strategic pillars will support this goal: enhancing the quality and value of tourism products and services that reflect Thai identity while improving infrastructure; promoting sustainability and low-carbon destinations; boosting competitiveness through AI-driven investment and capability development for tourism operators; strengthening resilience through improved safety, security and crisis-management measures; and fostering data-driven collaboration among stakeholders.

Mrs Suphajee said the committee also approved submitting the TAT's proposal to the Foreign Ministry to seek visa exemptions for Mexican and Colombian visitors staying for less than 30 days, in addition to visitors from Uzbekistan and Belarus, whose proposals had already received the committee's approval.

According to the TAT, Mexican and Colombian visitors generated nearly 4 billion baht in tourism revenue from 77,445 arrivals, with average spending of 50,932 baht per person.

While the proposal awaits consideration by the visa policy committee, the Tourism Minister also urged the Foreign Minister to expedite the e-visa process, as travellers from these countries are currently facing delays.

Meanwhile, the committee reported that congestion at Suvarnabhumi Airport has eased following the expansion of automated arrival gates from covering two countries to 33 countries and territories, accounting for 57% of all arrivals last year.

As the Ministry of Tourism and Sports moves ahead with plans to restructure its tourism functions and merge them with those of the Culture Ministry, Mrs Suphajee also instructed the committee to establish a tourism strategy subcommittee during the transition period to oversee implementation of the plan ahead of the parliamentary debate on Nov 4.