The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) New York Office is advancing efforts in the U.S. East Coast tourism market at the New York Travel & Adventure Show 2026, emphasizing health and sports tourism to target American travelers.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) New York Office is aggressively expanding into the U.S. East Coast travel market by promoting Thai tourism at the New York Travel & Adventure Show 2026 held at the Jacob Javits Center in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, attracting great interest from adventure travelers and those seeking new travel experiences.
Ms. Chompoo Maruschochot, Director of the TAT New York Office, led a team to conduct promotional activities focused on building confidence and driving travel demand through the concept of "Meaningful Travel" under the themes "Healing is the New Luxury" and "Amazing Thailand Sport Paradise," addressing trends in health tourism, physical and mental rejuvenation, alongside sports and lifestyle activities.
A key highlight for Thailand was the Muay Thai activity, where visitors had the chance to participate in learning various Muay Thai moves taught by instructors from Weapons 9 Muay Thai Gym, creating direct experiences and lively impressions among attendees.
At the event, Ms. Somjai Tepaepong, Consul General in New York, visited the Thailand booth and participated in activities to closely support the promotion of Thailand’s tourism image in the U.S. market.
Survey results showed that visitors to the Thailand booth were travelers from a variety of age groups, including:
Baby Boomers 29%
Generation X 26.8%
Millennials 25.1%
Generation Z and Younger Millennials 19.1%
Most attendees had never been to Thailand but planned to travel within the next 3 to 6 months, preferring to travel with friends (38%), partners (37%), alone (30%), or with family (14%).
The main reasons American tourists are interested in Thailand include Thai cuisine, beautiful beaches, Thai art and culture, health and wellness, as well as abundant natural environments.
Regarding awareness of Thailand’s image, over 43% recognized the Amazing Thailand brand through social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, followed by word of mouth from friends or family, tour companies, travel shows, and television or film media.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s New York Office will use these insights to plan and develop marketing and promotional strategies to expand the quality tourist base in its responsibility area.
This year’s event attracted a total of 15,738 attendees despite a prior snowstorm in the U.S. East Coast. Participants included travel industry professionals, media, and the general public from the Tri-State Area and nearby regions—an important market generating significant travel to Thailand each year.
Pairoj Pakasin, correspondent based in New York