TAT reveals new Thai tourism strategies

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced strategies designed to take advantage of emerging opportunities within the ever-changing travel industry.

The new campaign strategies were announced following TAT’s annual action plan meeting, where TAT set a target of 22.22 million international tourist arrivals for 2013, in the hopes of generating estimated foreign exchange revenues of 966 billion baht.

TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said industry performance will be centred on global economic stability and capitalising on demand.

“Tourism is now recognised as Thailand’s most important service industry,” the Governor said.

“Its contribution to job creation, income distribution and foreign exchange earnings is well above par.

“While the industry has been doing well so far, it cannot rest on its laurels in an unstable and unpredictable world.”

TAT has crafted the ‘Thailand and Beyond Strategy’, due to the expansion of the ASEAN community to include China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India and Russia, to be ready by 2015.

The TAT 2013 Action Plan was crafted with the theme, ‘Higher Revenue through Thainess’, attempting to attract tourists using Thailand’s natural and cultural charm.

Marketing messages will emphasise creative tourism, more effort will be expelled into increasing first-time visitors and high spenders (luxury market) and TAT will try to increase charter and low-cost carrier flights to destinations where there is no direct access, according to a release by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“We will use the major global media, especially sports and special-interest TV channels... the new digital media will be a special focus of attention... and TAT will also put considerable emphasis on a tourism intelligence unit and a crisis management centre.”

Sourced: etravelblackboardasia