Thailand tourism is paying close attention as the nation is advancing same-sex partnership legislation.
The Cabinet has approved a measure during the election campaign giving gay and lesbian couples more rights but still not legalizing same-sex marriage was headed to the Parliament.
The session ended before the bill became law but the tourism industry was using it to promote Thailand as an LGTB-friendly destination.
Srisuda Wanapinyosak, a deputy governor for the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said that the country has products and offerings catering to this market and the focus will be on serving them better.
An LGBT travel symposium will be hosted by the Tourism Authority and there will be plans on more participation in pride parades in cities like New York and Tel Aviv.
A promotional video was released featuring the LGBT travellers last month , also at a tourism event in Madrid this January they had a booth for the first time to promote Thailand to the LGBT travelers.
About one-fifth of the economy depends on the country’s tourism and the LGBT market is a key to the industry’s fortune.
As per LGBT Capital , an investment firm, LGBT tourism revenue is 1.15% which shows a greater share than any other destination.
Although the LGBT partners will have legal rights to jointly manage assets and liabilities along with giving or receiving inheritances but the proposed civil union law stops short of allowing same-sex couples to marry.
After the election the government is expected to revisit the measure although the bill has not become a law. This will show an advancement for LGBT rights in Asia, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Thailand has a welcoming attitude towards LGBT visitors and the revenue generated from the LGBT inbound tourism market is estimated to be about $5.3 billion accounting for 8.4 percent of the tourism industry.
