The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is setting its sights on high-spending European travelers by partnering with renowned luxury brands and top-tier media outlets in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
With an ambitious target of 1.27 million arrivals from these markets in 2025, TAT’s Paris office has earmarked 12 million baht to launch a flagship campaign focused on elevating Thailand’s profile as a luxury destination.
According to Suriya Sitthichai, director of TAT’s Paris office, collaborations with iconic brands like Louis Vuitton and Cartier will be central to the 2025 initiative. This includes organizing exclusive press trips and luxury lifestyle events designed to position Thailand as a premier travel destination. As part of this effort, TAT will work with Louis Vuitton to produce an updated Bangkok city guidebook, the first such edition in over a decade, aimed at a global audience.
The TAT Paris office also collaborates with European publications such as Marie Claire, Le Monde, and Le Figaro to highlight Thailand’s luxury travel experiences.
Through these channels, TAT aims to reach 150,000 high-spending travelers. Additionally, TAT will work with 20-30 premium tour operators to develop custom luxury travel packages priced at a minimum of €4,500 per person, aimed at affluent families.
European tourist spending in Thailand has shown significant potential, with French visitors spending an average of 64,804 baht per trip in 2024, while Dutch and Belgian visitors averaged 72,857 baht and 67,734 baht, respectively. For 2025, TAT is eyeing even higher tourism revenues, aiming for a total foreign market revenue of 2.4 trillion baht and a long-haul visitor expenditure of 960 billion baht, with the European market contributing up to 700 billion baht.
While Star Alliance Member airline Thai Airways discontinued flights to Rome in 2015, this downgrade turned around.
ITA Airways recently launched a new Rome-Bangkok route to support increased demand, while Thai Airways will resume Brussels-Bangkok flights in December. Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong has set a revised goal of 40 million international arrivals in 2025, with 8.2 million expected from Europe alone.
