Big-spending Aussies embody Thailand's new tourism strategy

Bangkok

THAILAND is now so popular for holidays that almost 35 million foreign tourists - equivalent to half the country's population - are expected this year.

As the influx gets harder to manage, the government is shifting strategy. It's now targeting a minimum increase in tourism revenue of about 5 per cent annually instead of a particular number of visitors, Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said. That means encouraging longer stays and higher daily spending, a mix the typical Australian holidaymaker exemplifies, she said.