Thailand proposes $17 fee to fund tourism upgrade

Thailand is reviving its proposed $14 fee on foreign visitors as a long-term source of funding for insurance, destination renewal and a shift towards higher-quality tourism, with officials warning that continued dependence on increasingly limited state budgets could leave the industry at risk of stagnation.



Revenue would be channelled into the Tourism Promotion Fund to support tourist attractions and infrastructure, environmental restoration, research, workforce development, tourism promotion and assistance for local communities.



The fund would also finance insurance and health protection for foreign visitors.



The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has estimated that the fee could generate about $300,000 in off-budget revenue for the tourism industry.



The Tourism and Sports Minister of thailand said said the prevailing view was that Thailand needed a dedicated fund to finance improvements across the sector.