Orientours taps events travel

BANGKOK  Thailand’s events related travel is picking up from Italy despite a weakening of the Euro against the Thai baht.
Commenting on the lucrative events business to Thailand, Orientours managing director, Ugo Salamone, said there were strong indications of recovery so far in 2015.
Orientours handles between 10,000 and 15,000 tourists a year, mostly from Italy with 60% travelling on events related itineraries.
This month, the company handles land arrangements for 700 guests attending an Italian Yellow Pages event in Phuket. They will stay five nights at the Hilton Arcadia and hold their annual sales gathering at Siam Nimitre’s theme park theatre.
inside no 1Earlier, 170 people attended a business event in Krabi at the Sheraton hotel.
Orientours is possibly the leading travel firm specialising in the Italian inbound travel market to Thailand, although it also handles business from South and Central Americas.
“We serve several markets,” said Salamone in an interview with TTR Weekly, “but our speciality has always been the Italian market.”
He admits he has seen some very steep peaks and troughs in the market sinc his company opened.
“Today the biggest challenge is the weakening of the Euro against the Thai baht,” he explained. A year ago it was THB43 to the Euro, now it is THB34 and that is making tours arrangements and hotels all the more expensive.”
Italy’s economic woes were an issue earlier, but unlike some European markets namely Greece and Spain, travel remains robust.
Orientours has resisted the temptation to diversify into Asian markets claiming that it remains strong in its core market Italy.
Established by the Salamone brothers in 1978, the company has seen the rise and fall of giant tour operators in Italy. Starting in the volume group tour segment it has since established a name for handling incentives and business events, the most lucrative side of the inbound travel business.
“Of course, we have seen negative changes,” he explained. “Italian leisure travellers feel comfortable booking their own travel. Italians are confortable, knowing Thailand well and are not worried about martial law. Direct bookings by individuals means fewer travellers book group travel through tour operators.”
But Orientours’ emphasis on handling events related business remains steady; a core feature of the company’s business profile.
inside no 1“Business events, incentives need the back-up of an inbound travel company offering quality ground handling services. It just wouldn’t work otherwise, there are too many things that can go wrong.”
The company has a payroll of 60 staff and runs offices in Phuket, Krabi, Samui and Chiang Mai in addition to owning its head office in Bangkok’s Soi 71 district.
The bulk of its events related business heads for Phuket and Krabi and contrary to popular opinion, Salamone claims hotel rates in popular Phuket are competitive when compared with other Thai beach destinations offering events facilities.
“Our biggest challenge was the political crisis in Thailand. Since 2005 we saw the business contract… event-related tourism dropped dramatically to Thailand.”
Like other travel firms that specialise in events , it has been a long 10-year journey through a reoccuring crisis.
“This year looks much better,” he said. “Thailand has strong potential and there are opportunities to expand to neighbouring countries through our ground handling partners.”
But like all inbound travel firms specialising in events, Orientours relies on a strong Thai Airways International presence in Europe.
“THAI has four weekly flights to both Milan and Rome, they are very important to grow the travel market from Italy. They are due to add a flight to Milan this May,” he said.
“We need the TG nonstop flights for events, so there is considerable pressure on the national airline to improve the product and upgrade aircraft.”
According to Thailand’s Department of Tourism, 220,017 Italians visited Thailand in 2014 up 6.19% on 207,192 visits in 2013. Italy represents a market share of 0.89% on Thailand’s overall visitor arrivals that stood at 24.779 million in 2014, an increase of 6.66% on 2013.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia