Tourism in Thailand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tourism in Thailand is a major economic factor of Thailand.
The tourism industry received a boost when US soldiers went there in the 1960s for Rest & Recuperation (R&R) pausing from the Vietnam war.
In 2005, 13.38 million international guests visited Thailand, a 14.84% increase over 2004, staying 8.1 days on average.
According to the Tourist Authority of Thailand, 65% of tourists come from the Asia Pacific region, Japanese and Malaysians among the leaders. Western tourists come from Britain, Germany, Scandinavia and the United States and increasing numbers arrive from the Middle East and Russia. Asian tourists prefer Bangkok and the historical, natural and cultural sights nearby, whereas western tourists prefer Bangkok and the southern and eastern beaches. The region having the least tourism is the Isan in the northeast. About 55% of tourists are return visitors.
In recent years Thailand has been losing out on tourists seeking cultural destinations, many of whom prefer Cambodia (Angkor Wat) and Laos (Luang Prabang). To counter this Thailand is seeking more niche markets such as golf holidays, or holidays combined with medical treatment. These are especially aimed at Japan and South Korea and in the future China and Taiwan.
Thailand offers a great variety of attractions which can be combined with hobbies or leisure.
This includes diving sites, sandy beaches, hundreds of islands, archaeological sites, museums, ethnic and religious sites and World Heritage Sites.
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