# Thailand wants 1.5M US tourists and it's nowhere near

Canonical-URL: https://notitur.com/en/digest/thailand-us-tourists-target-struggle
Text-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/thailand-us-tourists-target-struggle.txt
Markdown-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/thailand-us-tourists-target-struggle.md
Language: en
Published: 2026-09-24T08:30:50.843Z
Modified: 2026-09-24T08:30:50.843Z
Author: Joan Sanz
Topics: Tendencias de demanda
Summary: The country is chasing high-spending Americans, but pricey flights and competition from Japan and Vietnam are making the target a hard climb.

## Article

Thailand has set its sights on attracting **1.5 million US tourists**, and according to [Skift](https://skift.com/2026/09/24/thailand-wants-1-5-million-u-s-tourists-its-got-a-long-way-to-go/), American arrivals would need to speed up considerably for that number to close. At the current booking pace, the target looks shaky.

Two concrete brakes:

- **Expensive flights**. The connection to North America remains the biggest cost weighing on the American traveler's decision, and that limits volume.
- **Competition from Japan and Vietnam**. Both are chasing the same profile, high-spend and long-stay, with offers that are working on price and on story.

The interesting part isn't the headline, it's what sits behind it. The US market isn't bought with a campaign, it's bought with connectivity and with product. Whoever moves airline seats and builds long-stay product has room here. And that's probably where the opening lies for OTAs and hotels that want to ride that wave.

## Sources

- Skift: https://skift.com/2026/09/24/thailand-wants-1-5-million-u-s-tourists-its-got-a-long-way-to-go/

## Citation

Thailand wants 1.5M US tourists and it's nowhere near. Notitur. 2026-09-24. https://notitur.com/en/digest/thailand-us-tourists-target-struggle