THE TOURISM Authority of Thailand (TAT) is ramping up its Beautiful Thailand campaign efforts, and is also planning to launch next year a new Thailand Welcomes the World campaign, as part of its strategy to boost the country’s image after the recent floods.

The NTO is hosting a series of fam trips for more than 350 travel experts and media representatives from 23 countries from December 6-18, to see for themselves that the flood crisis is now well and truly over.

“Our major focus now is on bringing back tourists’ confidence in Thailand,” said TAT governor Suraphon Svetaserni.

Meanwhile, a new campaign, Thailand Welcomes the World, will be launched next year to improve Thailand’s image in overseas markets. Special emphasis will be placed on creating a good first impression when tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport, through providing better services and conveniences.

Thailand welcomed 17.1 million international visitors between January and November, a 21.1 per cent jump over the same period last year. ASEAN remains the country’s largest market, contributing 4.9 million visitors (a 22 per cent increase), followed by Europe at 4.4 million visitors (up 13.6 per cent), and North-east Asia at 4.3 million arrivals (up 34.2 per cent).

Thailand is anticipating about 18.3-18.6 million foreign arrivals and 703-716 billion baht (about US$23 billion) in tourism revenue for this year. Last year, the country received 15.96 million international visitors, and generated 593 billion baht in revenue.