In this way, the country wants to attract an additional 4 million tourists and about 2 billion dollars in revenue.
After Thailand legalized same-sex marriage in 2024, the country’s authorities aimed to promote so-called “rainbow tourism”.
As Bloomberg writes with reference to the research of the travel platform Agoda, in this way the authorities aim to attract additional approximately four million tourists annually, which could bring about $2 billion in revenue to the budget.
At the same time, the study notes that the law on the rights of same-sex couples, which is due to enter into force in January 2025, will also create 152,000 full-time jobs in Thailand and help raise the country’s gross domestic product by 0.3%.
Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and the third in Asia after Taiwan and Nepal. Under the new law, Thailand will recognize the marriage registration of same-sex partners aged 18 and over, as well as their rights to inheritance, tax breaks, adoption and more.
According to Agoda’s experts, Thailand is well-positioned to capture the majority of the global LGBTQ tourism market, which accounts for 10% of global tourists and is valued at more than $200 billion annually. Many Thai cities could also become popular wedding destinations, boosting the country’s wedding industry and related sectors such as hospitality and catering.
Thailand is among approximately 40 countries in the world that guarantee equal marriage rights. The country stands out in Southeast Asia, where not much progress has been made in recognizing the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, which often faces discrimination.
“While Thailand is already a popular destination for LGBTQ+ travelers, this move is expected to further strengthen Thailand’s reputation as an inclusive vacation destination,” Agoda Vice President of Corporate Development Timothy Hughes said in a statement.
Tourism is a key factor in the growth of Thailand’s economy, the second largest in Southeast Asia. Some 30 million tourists have already visited the country this year, meeting the government’s annual target of 36.7 million. In the pre-pandemic year of 2019, Thailand welcomed a record number of foreign tourists – nearly 40 million – bringing in $60 billion in revenue.
As UNIAN reported, in 2022 Thailand will be the first in Asia to legalize the cultivation and use of cannabis. In this way, the country has attracted additional flows of tourists who want to relax with the help of this easy drug.
However, just two months after that, the Thai authorities urged tourists not to come to the country “just to smoke”, and in another two years, Prime Minister Sretta Thawisin announced that he intends to ban cannabis in the country again.
