Thailand eyes US$1 billion bounce from Tomorrowland music festival

Thailand is eyeing a billion-dollar tourist bounce over the next five years from hosting Tomorrowland, which makes its Asia debut in December. An estimated 150,000 young ravers are expected to flood the resort city of Pattaya for the world’s largest electronic music festival.For years a touchstone of global tourism, the kingdom recently has seen its popularity wane as the strong baht deters some travellers while regional rivals Vietnam and Malaysia gobble up market share.To turn the trajectory around, Thai tourism authorities are seeking fresh revenue streams with attractions aimed at capturing the Generation Z dollar and boosting the country’s branding as a wellness and lifestyle hub.The three-day Tomorrowland festival, to be held between December 11 and 13, at the 225-hectare (560-acre) Wisdom Valley, is the centrepiece of these efforts.Ravers dance at a Tomorrowland concert. Photo: Facebook/Tomorrowland“Tomorrowland is an important step to develop our tourism sector,” Nat Kruthasoot, Thailand" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="29993" data-entity-type="organization">Tourism Authority of Thailand’s deputy governor for tourism products and business, told reporters.