CHONBURI: Chonburi Governor Naris Niramaiwong on Thursday welcomed travel and hospitality partners to a briefing on Tomorrowland Thailand, saying the inaugural electronic music festival is already driving strong hotel demand and is projected to generate more than 5 billion baht in economic activity in its first year.
The gathering, titled “Travel Partner Gathering at Wisdom Valley,” was held at 3:30 p.m. on September 17th. Attendees included Dr. Watcharapong Khunpleum, president of the Thai Hotels Association’s Eastern Chapter; representatives of Tomorrowland; the Embassy of Belgium in Thailand; the Tourism Authority of Thailand; the president of the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization; the mayor of Pattaya; and executives from government agencies, the private sector, and hotels.
Tomorrowland Thailand is scheduled for December 11–13, 2026. Organizers expect more than 30,000 visitors a day over the three-day event. With about three months remaining, bookings in Pattaya and Chonburi have already reached 42,000 room nights, the governor said.
Officials estimate first-year economic impact at more than 5 billion baht, including 1.4 billion to 1.5 billion baht in direct spending by attendees. Plans for 2027 call for expanding the festival to six days across two weekends, with room-night demand projected to rise to 90,000.
Governor Naris outlined five expected benefits for Chonburi and Thailand:
1. Income for local businesses. More than 90 percent of attendees are expected to be foreigners, with spending flowing to restaurants, street food vendors, taxis, songthaews, island boats to Koh Larn, massage shops, and community products.
2. Jobs and skills. The event is expected to create more than 7,500 local jobs in stage construction, transport, food service, security, and medical units, with training through Tomorrowland Academy.
3. Global visibility. “Pattaya, Thailand” will appear alongside the Tomorrowland brand in international media.
4. Longer stays and wider travel. Visitors are expected to stay longer and continue to Bangkok, Rayong, and other provinces.
5. Multi-year certainty. A five-year hosting agreement is intended to support investment planning and strengthen ties between Thailand and Belgium.
Dr. Watcharapong presented insights on cooperation between Pattaya’s hotel market and a global music festival. Paul Neuteboom, festival director of Tomorrowland Thailand, and his team outlined Global Journey travel packages set at building lasting partnerships.
The governor urged hotel operators to treat the festival as a long-term partnership, set fair and sustainable prices to protect Pattaya’s image, and maintain service standards and booking reliability.
“The visitor experience does not end on the stage,” he said. “It begins and ends in the guest room, the lobby, and the smile of hotel staff. Every operator is a true host who will help write this history and bring pride to Chonburi and Thailand.”