Mumbai, 20 February 2014: Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will focus on the travel niches of golfers, culture-enthusiasts, voluntourists, gourmets and luxury-seekers in the coming year. All of the tourism board’s initiatives during 2014 will reflect this.
For instance, in mid-February 2014, TAT concluded a three-city roadshow which saw an attendance of nearly 550 travel agents over its three locations – Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Chennai. Travel agents reconnected with partners from the destination, forged new relationships and networked with representatives from Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways. They were also briefed on TAT’s new target segments, statistics, recently launched/ soon-to-launch attractions and hotels that have recently opened their doors. Commenting on the success of the roadshow and TAT’s latest target segments, Sethaphan Buddhani, director, TAT Mumbai said, “The overwhelming turnout at our three-city roadshow is a good indicator of steady, growing demand for Thailand. Travel agents have a large number of repeat travellers for Thailand and as a result, it makes sense to segment and target them according to the factor that is causing them to return.”
“Let us take the example of a traveller who is returning because he was impressed by Thailand’s culture. His travel agent could offer him a Muay Thai lesson or tickets to a Muay Thai fight/ performance. A gourmet who is returning for his fill of Thai cuisine could enroll in a cooking class and experience Thailand’s varied gastronomy – like India, it differs in each region. And while everybody loves a good deal, we’re gearing travel agents to service high-spenders by making them aware of the availability of experiences akin to yacht experiences,” he continued.
For the culturally inclined segment, Thailand wants to create awareness about its incredible, well-preserved history, myriad traditional dance forms and festivals such as Songkran; Thailand’s New Year and Loi Krathong; best recognized by its floating lanterns.
Voluntourism and eco-tourism often go hand-in-hand. Elephant farms that teach visitors about caring for, feeding and bathing these gentle giants strike a chord with travellers interested in “giving back” as part of their vacation. Rural tourism is picking up: farm stays are witnessing demand, particularly for newly popular destinations such as Chiang Rai.
For the golf segment, a host of initiatives have been undertaken or are on the anvil. Indian golfing pro Gaganjeet Bhullar has been signed on as TAT’s brand ambassador as an engagement effort for golfers in India. Groups of golfers, particularly from South India, have been taken on fam trips to Thailand. The destination is the third-busiest international golf vacation destination globally, boasting a choice of 230 golf courses. A slew of awards indicate Thailand’s rise as a super-power among golfing destinations. Hua Hin bagged 2014 Golf Destination of the year award for Asia and Australia by IAGTO (International Association of golf Tour Operators). The win becomes the second major golf award for Thailand: In 2012 Pattaya won this award. Back home in India, the seaside town received the Best Golf Destination accolade at the Safari India National Tourism Awards 2013. Other popular golfing destinations in Thailand are Chiang Rai and Khao Yai.
These immersive experiences, in turn, are expected to extend the average length of stay of the Indian tourist. Currently placed at 3-4 days, Mr Buddhani said that he is targeting 5-6 days by the end of the year, a two-day increase on an average. The widening scope of Indian itineraries is also expected to have people stay longer in Thailand. For example travel agents reveal that soft-adventure activities such as ziplining, parasailing and snorkeling find their way into almost every Indian itinerary. TAT is also working towards drawing India’s enormous market of biking fans. Besides fam trips extended to biking community opinion leaders, to bloggers and to journalists that cater to this segment, a venture in collaboration with NDTV Good Times saw biking trails through northern Thailand aired on prime time television. “We expect that this served as a visual treat to biking-enthusiasts in India – I am certain that this will prompt many groups of youngsters to add on a day or two of roadtrips, with the aim of taking in Thailand’s stunning landscape,” Buddhani added.
Additionally, people are adding destinations to itineraries. Bangkok-only itineraries are no longer the rule. The Indian market is moving beyond Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. Chiang Mai, Chai Rai, Koh Kut, Krabi, Hua Hin and Koh Samui are seeing rapidly escalating demand. TAT will place tremendous focus on training agents to sell these destinations in the coming months.
TAT is also counting on soon-to-launch attractions drawing visitors and thereby notching up length of stay in the destination. Cartoon Network Amazone and Kidzania Bangkok are certain to prompt families to stay longer. Asiatique – The Riverfront is anticipated to be a big hit among groups of young people and The Flow House will have universal appeal.
A total of 1,049,856 Indians visited Thailand in 2013, representing nearly four percent growth over 2012’s 1,013,308 travellers. This amounted to about 4% of the 26,735,583 international visitors to the Kingdom during 2013. TAT is targeting 1.1 million arrivals out of India, which currently stands as its sixth-largest inbound market.