The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is positioning Africa as a key growth market as it seeks to diversify visitor sources amid ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East.
The continent is showing strong growth, particularly from Mauritius, where visitor numbers have risen 22 per cent, and Nigeria, which has recorded growth of 35 per cent. TAT attributes the increase to a growing middle-class driving demand for luxury and honeymoon travel, supported by air connectivity through hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Addis Ababa.
“Africa serves as a strategic diversification hedge against Middle Eastern volatility because its rising, affluent middle class offers standout growth in luxury travel demand while conveniently utilising the same robust aviation hubs and flight capacities,” said Chiravadee Khunsub, TAT deputy governor for international marketing for Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.
As of May 25, 2026, Thailand had welcomed 63,031 visitors from Africa. These travellers spent an average of 56,279 baht (US$1,710) per trip and stayed for an average of 11.33 nights, representing nearly half the Middle East market’s volume and a little over half of its average trip spend.
To strengthen its presence in the region, TAT is expanding its operations across both the Middle East and Africa.
“Our Dubai office currently manages the entire Middle East and Africa region, but we are working diligently to establish a new office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Opening in Riyadh will be a major strategic move, enabling us to significantly increase our marketing capabilities and capture market share across these critical territories,” said Santi Sawangcharoen, TAT executive director for the Americas, Middle East and Africa region.
He added that TAT is organising trade shows and consumer events across Africa in cooperation with Thai embassies and consulates, while tailoring its approach to individual markets and focusing resources on major cities.
Given budget constraints, South Africa remains TAT’s primary focus market on the continent. The tourism board plans to conduct trade missions this year in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
“We must hit the right target groups, and South Africa remains our absolute priority because it delivers substantial tourist volumes alongside notably high purchasing power,” Chiravadee noted.
While African travellers tend to favour Thailand’s leading destinations, beach resorts and culinary experiences, TAT is seeking to encourage wider exploration of the country.
“For many of these visitors, Phuket is even perceived as the capital of Thailand due familiarity from direct aviation links, and seamless connections via Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines,” Chiravadee said.
“Our goal now is to promote travel beyond Phuket by combining it with secondary destinations. The true value for our visitors lies in the extended experience, and we want to leave a lasting impression by encouraging them to explore further.”
