Thailand, the mainstream destination with niche ambitions

20 Jun 2018  2049 | World Travel News

Thailand may well be on its way to another record year in tourism, welcoming 13.7 million visitor arrivals in the first four months of 2018, nearly 14 per cent more than the same period last year, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says its international marketing strategy is no longer about pursuing the numbers game.

Instead, focus will be placed on growing tourism revenue and visitors’ length of stay, announced Tanes Petsuwan, TAT’s deputy governor for marketing communications, at the recently-concluded Thailand Tourism Mart Plus (TTM+) in Pattaya.

Weddings and honeymoons are one of TAT’s targeted niche markets; a couple on Phi Phi island at sunset pictured

“The only way to bring Thailand out of its pain points is to go niche. We are at a comfortable point now to go niche, so we will focus only on spending and revenue for performance statements moving forward,” Tanes revealed. In 2018, TAT targets to grow tourism revenue by eight per cent.

Romance and luxury were the focus for TTM+ 2018 when the tradeshow took place at Pattaya’s Ocean Marina Yacht Club last week under the theme of “Million Shades of Romance”. TAT also identified weddings and honeymoons as niche segments for promotion – in 2016, both segments attracted 1.1 million visitors and US$1.8 billion in revenue.

Gastronomy tourism is another focal point, with the launch of the Michelin Guidebook Bangkok last year, and the recent hosting of the fourth UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, as initiatives TAT has undertaken.

TAT’s niche market campaigns come at a critical time, especially as the impacts of mass tourism in Thailand are becoming even more apparent for overseas tour operators.

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