The Southeast Asian nation received 510,000 foreign visitors in the first half of this year, up 394 percent compared to the same period last year, he said, adding that Vietnam and Thailand were the largest sources of tourists to the kingdom.
“Based on this figure, we hope to attract around one million foreign tourists in 2022 and up to two million in 2023,” Khon said during the closing ceremony of the ministry’s three-day meeting. The minister said tourism, one of four pillars supporting the country’s economy, is forecast to reach its pre-COVID-19 level in 2026 or 2027. In the pre-pandemic era, the kingdom welcomed 6.6 million international tourists in 2019, generating 4.92 billion U.S. dollars in revenue, according to the Tourism Ministry.
