Core Points - The Thai government cabinet has approved four measures to stimulate domestic tourism, focusing on tax incentives and budget allocations to boost the economy in secondary cities [1][2] Group 1: Tax Incentives - Tax deductions for domestic tourism expenses will be allowed from October 29, 2025, to December 15, 2025, with a maximum deduction of 20,000 THB. Expenses in 55 secondary tourism provinces will be deductible at 1.5 times, while other provinces will be at 1 time [1] - The entertainment and leisure tax rate will be reduced from 10% to 5% and extended for one year until December 31, 2026, to support the tourism and service sectors [1] Group 2: Budget Allocations - Government agencies, state-owned enterprises, and local administrative organizations are required to spend at least 60% of their training and meeting budgets from October 2025 to January 2026, with performance evaluations tied to this spending [1] - A loan program totaling 100 billion THB will be provided for hotel renovations and expansions, with 10 billion THB specifically allocated for tourism recovery and supply chain improvements, backed by small industry credit guarantee companies [1] Group 3: Economic Impact - The measures are expected to attract more tourists to secondary provinces, boosting related industry revenues and employment, with projected GDP growth increases of 0.04% to 0.05% in 2025 and 0.03% to 0.04% in 2026 [2]

Core Points - The Thai government is set to launch a series of measures on October 29 to stimulate domestic tourism, aiming for 1.15 trillion THB in domestic tourism revenue to accelerate economic recovery [1][2] - The measures are part of the government's "quick wins" policy framework, designed to achieve long-term sustainable development through short-term initiatives [1] - The plan includes three main measures to boost the local tourism industry [1] Measure Summaries - The first measure involves a support policy for seminar tourism in secondary cities, allowing government agencies and state-owned enterprises to enjoy corporate tax reductions for expenses incurred while organizing seminars in designated secondary tourism provinces [1] - The second measure, under the "Domestic Tourism" policy, allows taxpayers visiting secondary cities in Thailand from October 29 to December 31 to deduct certain actual travel and accommodation expenses from their personal income tax, although specific deductible amounts are yet to be defined [1] - The final measure provides tax incentives for hotel renovations, particularly for properties investing in energy efficiency or comprehensive renovations, aimed at boosting the hotel industry and promoting sustainable building practices [2]

Group 1 - The South Korean government announced a temporary visa waiver policy for Chinese group tourists from September 29 to June 30 next year, aiming to stimulate tourism demand and boost the local economy [1] - The tourism industry anticipates that the visa waiver will simplify entry procedures for Chinese tourists and enhance tourism consumption, following a similar policy implemented by China last year [1] - In the first half of this year, South Korea received 2.527 million Chinese tourists, a year-on-year increase of 13.9%, recovering to 90% of the levels seen in the same period of 2019 [1] Group 2 - Despite the expected surge in tourist numbers, there are concerns about insufficient supply infrastructure, as hotel room availability in Seoul decreased by 1.2% by the end of last year compared to 2021 [2] - The rapid increase in foreign tourists, from approximately 970,000 to around 16 million, has led to significant accommodation shortages [2] - The industry is worried that if supply issues persist, it could lead to skyrocketing accommodation prices and difficulties in booking, which may hinder the attraction of foreign tourists [2]