For centuries, the Thai economy has been relying on agriculture and taking it into account promoting food tourism makes great economic sense. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), international visitors to Thailand spend over 20% of their daily budget on food.
In 2018, Thailand became the first Asian country to host UNTWO Forum on Gastronomy Tourism. In the frame of the event, the idea of promoting cultural and culinary traditions of the country among the menmbers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific region had a lot of attention.
Another important step in gastronomy tourism sector was the teaming of TAT with Michelin renowned for their restaurant star rating system. The first Michelin Guide Bangkok featured 98 restaurants located in the capital, and the newer 2019 edition Michelin Guide Bangkok, Phuket and Phang Nga already includes 217 recommended dining locations. The Michelin Guide Thailand project will run until 2022 and we are expecting coverage of some other populat Thai destinations soon.
Also in 2018, a 70-page Gault & Millau Tasty Thailand guidebook was issued with printed versions in French and Dutch.
With its great choice of humble street food to posh restaurants, Thailand is rightfully ranked high on world's gastronomic tourism map.
TAT Puts Efforts in Developing Gastronomy Tourism in Thailand
News in Asia
Gastronomy tourism is on the rise throughout the world, and as Thai cuisine enjoys international reputation Thailand is ranked high on many foodies' travel lists. Lately, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has been playing an important role in promoting Thai cuisine and inbound gastronomy tourism.