The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has penned a major agreement with Etihad Airways to boost the country’s international visitor arrivals.

The new US$1 million agreement will see the Abu Dhabi-based airline team up with the TAT to jointly promote travel to Thailand from several key markets, including the UAE, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Egypt and Kuwait.

The agreement was signed by Etihad’s vice president of marketing, Tim Burnell, and the TAT’s deputy governor, Tanes Petsuwan, at an event in Bangkok.

“Etihad Airways has a long and proud association with Thailand – in fact Bangkok was one of our first international routes. It continues to be one of the busiest in our network enjoying strong year-round demand, particularly from the UAE, GCC, Middle East, Africa and Europe,” Burnell said.

“With five daily flights to Thailand – four to Bangkok and one to Phuket – Etihad Airways has a significant investment in Thai tourism and the new agreement with Tourism Authority of Thailand supports and extends that commitment.

“Through innovative joint marketing campaigns, we aim to bring hundreds of thousands of first-time and repeat travellers from Europe and the Middle East to Thailand to enjoy this beautiful country,” he added.

Bangkok continues to be one of Etihad’s busiest routes, with approximately 800,000 passengers travelling on its flights to and from the Thai capital in 2016. In total, more than six million people have flown on the airline’s Thai routes since 2007.

“Europe has long been a prime market for Thailand. We have also seen an increase in visitors from the Middle East and Africa,” Tanes explained. “The new partnership with Etihad Airways will be a great benefit to both parties – to Thailand in terms of increased visitor numbers and to Etihad Airways in terms of promoting its international network.”

The TAT has set a target of 34.5 million international visitors in 2017, generating an estimated THB1.81 trillion (US$ 50 billion) in tourism receipts.