A popular tourist destination for Indians, Thailand has been drawing Indian visitors in large numbers. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently conducted its ‘Amazing Thailand’ roadshow in Bengaluru. A large delegation of 30 companies from Thailand took part in the roadshow initiated by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Some of the Hotels that participated in the roadshow were Peace Laguna Resort & Spa, Landmark Bangkok and others. The Entertainment companies that were part of the road show included Asiatique the Riverfront, Phuket FantaSea Public Co. Ltd, Show DC by TM Show Corp Ltd. and DMCs that participated include Indio Bangkok Co. Ltd., Destination Asia Ltd. among others. Together these companies are expected to help travel agents design and deliver Thai products for the new-age traveller from Bengaluru.
Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and the South Pacific) said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of Amazing Thailand roadshow. The objective to host this roadshow is to create awareness about the new segments and new regions that the destination has to offer and also to highlight unexplored destinations like Hua Hin and Cha-Am. Bengaluru contributes to a significant 10 per cent of Thailand’s arrivals out of India and we are keen to see its contribution grow. Bengalureans are open to exploring new experiences like diving, golfing and food tasting and to fulfill the needs of such experiences, TAT introduces new and unexplored regions of Thailand year on year. This indicates that our efforts towards attracting a more quality traveller are indeed coming to fruition.
Soraya Homchuen, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mumbai, said, “Over the years we have seen a rise in the arrivals from South India and Bengaluru being one of the significant markets has contributed largely towards it. We are receiving a rising number of footfalls because this is a ripe, upwardly-mobile market for Thailand and we have noticed that many people are returning year-after-year, meaning that they are really in love with the destination. Apart from MICE group, recently we have also seen the family segment picking up from Bengaluru along with women travelers; and to encourage these segments to travel, TAT has introduced attractive offers and has created special mobile applications like ‘FamilyFun’ and ‘Women’s Journey’.”
On a global scale, India is ranked 6th in terms of tourist arrivals in Thailand and South India contributes around 30% from the overall footfalls from India. As per the recent numbers released by Department of Tourism, in 2017, Thailand welcomed around 8 lakh Indian tourists uptill July 2017 which has risen by 16% percent compared to 2016. The focus destinations for 2017-18 will be mainly on Hua Hin, Cha-AM, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Trat, Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok. For 2018 the focus will be on local Thai cuisine and international gastronomy. The month of August will see special offers for all women travellers.
