The Impact of Gastronomic Tourism on Thailand Economy: Under the Situation of COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

With the COVID-19 pandemic’s complexity and inexorable devastation, this research article attempts to forecast Thailand’s economic move forward through gastronomic tourism promotion. The dynamic input-output (I-O) model was the primary method for classifying gastronomic activities in tourism I-O data, which was investigated sector by sector. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports in Bangkok, Thailand, officially gathered the 2017 I-O table. To briefly explain the empirical results, it found that the main sectors of gastronomic tourism that highly impact Thailand’s economy are the processing and preserving of foods, other foods, food and beverage serving activities, and other food services. In terms of forecasting during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bayesian Structural Time Series (BSTS) based on the dynamic input-output (I-O) model suggests that approximately 1% to 2% of Thailand’s gastronomic tourism will be able to contribute to the GDP of this country substantially. By the way, if this research result is significant, then both the private sector and the government sector need to be concerned and promote those sectors as much as they can.

Sentiment analysis of restaurant customer satisfaction during COVID-19 pandemic in Pattaya, Thailand

“…In addition, there is a wide range of international cuisines, including Thai, Indian, Italian, and Russian cuisine. Piboonrungroj et al [ 33 ] highlighted positive signs that food tourism continues to play an important role in promoting the Thai economy, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic because Thai food remains a major tourist attraction. As a result, restaurant owners and managers should use the findings of this study to enhance their businesses practices, particularly in terms of the quality of food and service.…”

“…For instance, Ryu et al [ 31 ] delved into the self-protection intentions of restaurant patrons in Phuket, while Sunthompan & Hirata [ 32 ] examined the influence of COVID-19 across various tiers of the restaurant industry, encompassing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Moreover, Piboonrungroj et al [ 33 ] explored the impact of gastronomic tourism in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, this study seeks to comprehensively investigate the intricate interplay of food, tourism, and the pandemic's repercussions on the Thai restaurant industry, providing valuable insights and contributing to the body of knowledge in this field.…”

“…A review of previous research indicated that several studies have investigated the impact of COVID-19 on restaurants [ [31] , [32] , [33] ]; however, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have focused on Pattaya City, Thailand. Thus, in this study, we focused on Pattaya, which is a well-known tourist attraction in Chon Buri Province, Thailand.…”

Analyze Strategies for Diversifying the Country's Economy Driven by Tourism Using Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand as a Case Study. To Reduce Fragility and Increase Economic Stability

“…The study of tourism-dependent economies and adaptation solutions to the epidemic problem and the new world order (Weltbankgruppe, 2021). As a result, tourism-dependent countries like Thailand have focused on developing their tourism industry to achieve economic stability (Piboonrungroj et al, 2023;Yasami et al, 2023). For instance, the Thai government has implemented various policies to promote tourism, such as infrastructure development, tax incentives, and marketing campaigns (Weltbankgruppe, 2021).…”

“…The government should work on improving the infrastructure for tourism, promoting cultural and ecotourism, and investing in the development of human capital to increase productivity and improve the quality of services (Yarrow, 2022). In In conclusion, the growth of tourism has been a big reason why many countries, including Thailand, have had stable economies.Therefore, it is crucial to adopt suitable policies and strategies to promote sustainable tourism development, which will further enhance economic growth and prosperity (Piboonrungroj et al, 2023;Weltbankgruppe, 2021).…”