BANGKOK, 19 March 2013 (NNT) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has expressed confidence that the number of foreign tourists this year will be over 24 million after the first two months of 2013 saw an increase of 18% in the number.

TAT Governor Surapol Sawetserani said on Tuesday 450,000 foreign tourists had visited Thailand from January to February this year, an increase of 18% from the same period of last year. The TAT therefore believed that the total arrivals in 2013 would likely hit the target of 24.5 million. 60% of them were expected to be from the Asia-Pacific region, the governor said.

The TAT has predicted that as many as three million Chinese tourists will travel to Thailand in 2013 and 6-7% more of European tourists will visit the country this year as more airlines from the EU are flying to Thailand.

Read more: NNT