Bangkok, Thailand: With golf remaining an integral component of its tourism strategy, Thailand has emerged as a leader in Asia’s booming tourism sector, outpacing competitors such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan.

Through ambitious targets, innovative strategies, and a balanced focus on domestic and international markets, the country is setting the standard for tourism excellence.

According to Travel & Tour World (TTW), Thailand has set its sights on welcoming 40 million tourists by 2025. This goal is underpinned by key initiatives such as expanding flight capacities, promoting lesser-known destinations, and harnessing the strength of domestic tourism, which accounted for 200 million trips in 2024.

Thailand’s streamlined entry processes, efficient airports, and global marketing campaigns resulted in 36 million international arrivals in 2024 alone. With hotel occupancy rates reaching 72.6% and hotel revenues of THB960 billion for 2024, Thailand’s recovery is robust and industry-leading.

One of Thailand’s standout tourism sectors is golf tourism, which continues to grow steadily, driven by the country’s world-class courses, favourable climate, and luxurious accommodations.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has embraced golf as a cornerstone of its tourism strategy, drawing an estimated 700,000 golf tourists annually. Around 8%-9% of Thailand’s foreign visitors indulge in golf during their stay.

“After a challenging period during the pandemic, our business has rebounded significantly. In 2024, we handled over 21,000 international golf vacations, with the majority focused on Thailand,” said Mark Siegel, Managing Director of golf tour operator Golfasian, a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

Golfasian, which has been at the forefront of Asia’s golf tourism sector for more than 22 years, has played a pivotal role in attracting golfers from markets such as Japan, India, South Korea, Europe, Australia, and the United States.

In addition to leisure golf vacations, Thailand hosts prestigious tournaments and televised events, such as Asian Tour and LPGA competitions, which further elevate its appeal among international golfers.

However, the sector’s popularity brings its challenges. “High demand during peak season means many top courses are fully booked. We’re now securing tee times a year in advance to meet customer expectations. Additionally, we’re encouraging golfers to explore some excellent country courses that offer first-class facilities. Looking ahead, 2025 is shaping up to be our best season yet,” Siegel added.

The Thai Government remains focused on achieving its ambitious tourism targets. The country welcomed 36.5 million international arrivals in 2024 and is anticipating 40 million by 2025. Efforts to promote lesser-known destinations, expand flight capacities, and highlight Thai culture internationally are central to this plan.

Economic contributions from tourism are projected to exceed THB500 billion from foreign travellers and THB400 billion from domestic tourism in 2024, further bolstering GDP growth.

Hotel occupancy rates are expected to surpass 71.9% by 2025, signalling strong recovery and continued success.