Thailand is looking for tourists with money, and should think of itself as a Louis Vuitton boutique, according to its Deputy Prime Minister, who told tourism officials that “We cannot let people come to Thailand and say because it’s cheap.”
Tourism is reviving in Thailand, after pandemic lockdowns and complex rules for entry have been removed or relaxed, but the Deputy PM, Anutin Charnvirakul, says the country wants people to say they came ‘because it works, it’s reasonable.’
He told the group to adopt the mindset of a luxury boutique: “Hold your ground. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers,” he said. “Otherwise Louis Vuitton wouldn’t have any sales.”
Before the pandemic, Thailand had 40 million visitors in 2019, and visitor spending amounted to about 11% of the country’s economy.
