TAT sees strong growth in tourist arrivals from Europe and Middle East

Positive signs from high-spending European markets

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has expressed optimism over continued growth in foreign arrivals, particularly from European and Middle Eastern countries.

TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said on Tuesday that promising signs have emerged from key European markets with high purchasing power, starting from the beginning of June. During the period from June 1 to 9, tourist arrivals from Germany rose by 71%, from Italy by 28%, and from Switzerland by 24%, compared to the same period last year.

Middle East enters peak travel season

Thapanee noted that the Middle East has also entered its high tourism season from the beginning of June, with arrivals growing by 55%. A country breakdown revealed impressive gains: Saudi Arabia led with 61% growth, followed by Oman (54%), United Arab Emirates (51%), and Israel (32.49%).

Malaysian tourists surpass Chinese arrivals

Thapanee added that Malaysian tourists have overtaken Chinese as the largest group of foreign arrivals in early June. Between June 1 and 9, Malaysian arrivals rose by 13.22%, compared to the same period last year.

Over 15 million foreign tourists in 2025 so far

According to the Immigration Bureau, 15.543 million foreign tourists visited Thailand from January 1 to June 9, 2025. The countries with the highest growth in arrivals during this period were:

• India: 1,042,304 visitors (15.4% growth)
• Russia: 983,579 (12.96%)
• United Kingdom: 531,030 (19.3%)
• United States: 492,659 (10.2%)
• Germany: 476,356 (11.82%)
• Japan: 463,647 (9.94%)
• France: 429,516 (19.27%)
• Australia: 350,851 (14.67%)

Middle-sized quality markets also rising

TAT also reported robust growth from mid-sized markets during the same period:

• Israel: 165,602 arrivals (74.65% growth)
• Italy: 136,209 (28.45%)
• Canada: 134,095 (7.12%)
• Poland: 120,944 (31.07%)
• Netherlands: 119,992 (12.69%)
• Sweden: 117,434 (10.47%)

Forward bookings show strong Q3 and Q4 prospects

Forward airline bookings also point to continued growth in the third quarter (July–September 2025). Thapanee said international arrivals during this summer slot are projected to increase from all major markets, with Europe rising by 21%, Middle East by 25%, and Asia by 7%.

For the winter slot (October–December), bookings also remain strong: Europe is expected to grow by 17%, America by 12%, and Asia by 22%.

TAT targets quality tourism markets for rest of 2025

Thapanee concluded that TAT will focus on promoting Thailand in quality tourism markets throughout the rest of the year. Targeted countries include the UK, Germany, Russia, France, and the United States, all of which show strong potential for sustainable growth.