Thainess campaign spurs domestic tourism

BANGKOK  Kasikorn Research Centre estimates Thailand’s domestic tourism will expand this year on the back of the Discover Thainess campaign that should help to boost tourism-related revenue to THB772 billion.
The centre said the government’s “12 cities you can’t say no to” (don’t miss destinations ) project, are part of its Discover Thainess 2015 campaign, together with improved tax incentives to stimulate more domestic tourism.
The cities featured are Lampang, Nan, Phetchabun, Loei, Samut Songkram, Ratchaburi, Trat, Chanthaburi, Chumphon, Trang and Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Trips to these destinations should earn around THB3.5 billion through visitor spending.
In addition, the incentive of a tax rebate on travel expenses should encourage more travel. Thai citizens can claim tax deductions for domestic travel when they file their annual tax returns.
inside no 3Under the scheme, businesses and private individuals will be eligible for tax deductions on expenses until 31 December this year.
Individuals who buy local package tours, or hotel accommodation, will be able to list the purchases as deductible expenses against their taxable income for the year. The deductible amount is set at no more than THB15,000.
Companies will also be able to use the tax rebate for residential training programmes for employees.
The centre projects that the tax scheme will help to push revenue to around THB772 billion (+9.4%), up from 2014’s THB705 billion revenue.
The number of Thai tourists will also increase by 7.0% to 148.5 million trips by year-end.
Th centre noted that the highest growth in domestic tourism would be seen in the north and northeast provinces as well as southern resorts.
However, a rising cost of living may dampen travel further afield and encourage travel to destinations closer to home and even day trips at the expense of overnight stays.
Kasikorn Research Centre is a subsidiary company of Kasikorn Bank, which conducts tourism and business research mainly on Thailand’s economy including tourism with reliable recommendations and indicators on business prospects.

sourced:ttrweekly.com