Ever since the world started seeing the pandemic in the rearview mirror, Southeast Asia’s tourism industry has been on a remarkable growth curve. Countries including Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia have been on top of this wave. However, over the past few years, Thailand stood out with a footfall of over 40 million international travelers in 2023 and 9,300,000 in the first quarter of 2024, marking a 44 percent increase. According to reports, Indonesia hosted 11,680,000 international visitors arrivals in 2023, a 98 percent rise from 2022, and over 3 million in the first quarter of 2024, while Malaysia welcomed 20,140,000 visitors in 2023 and 5,800,000 in

the first quarter of 2024, representing a 32.5 percent increase.

In truth, Thailand leading the race is no coincidence. A fair share of credit goes to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which has been prompt in implementing initiatives to attract visitors, be it long-haul stays, beach destinations, or Bangkok’s nightlife. TAT adopted a strategic move combining adventure tourism, beach tourism, leisure tourism, business travel, and the meeting and event industry. The industry bets huge on travel experience, especially with the advantage of technology.

Indeed, the global Smart Hospitality market, driven by the need to create unique hospitality experiences, is predicted to grow from $13.6 billion in 2022 to $49.9 billion by 2027 (report by ResearchAndMarkets.com) at a whopping CAGR of 29.8 percent. It’s quite clear that travelers worldwide are looking for well-being-oriented and immersive experiences. This drives a massive surge in leisure travel within the domestic market and the inbound international travel landscape. Going forward, the opportunities for Thailand will be huge. This yearly special issue of CEO Insights sheds light on the corporate ecosystem of Thailand.
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