Clusters and cash dominate Thai plan

BANGKOK  There are moves to position Thailand as a quality destination and revive earlier strategies to develop tourism clusters throughout the country, according to Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul.
She made the comments on clusters during a seminar presentation on the Tourism Reform Development Strategy Plan (2015 to 2017) that aims to develop the country’s tourism industry.
Speaking at the Thailand Moves Tourism Forward conference, late last week, Tourism Minister Kobkarn highlighted the main features of a three-year reform strategy plan that will be presented to the Cabinet for approval in two weeks.
inside no 3 Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul
The strategy covers both short and long-term goals and shifts the emphasis away from mass tourism to quality tourism that is measured by revenue earned and length of stay.
She said: “According to the plan, next year tourism revenue is projected at THB2.3 trillion and THB2.5 trillion in 2017…there will be no more talk of numbers in tourist projections.”
That sounds easy to achieve, but critics will not be silenced unless the minister also reforms the data collection system and invests in collecting transparent and accurate figures that reflect the realities played out in the market place.
The current methodology used to reach conclusions on estimated revenue and length of stay are inadequate and not enough funds are set aside to gain an accurate benchmark on a quality tourism performance.
“Thailand’s tourism needs to tap “mid to high” spending tourists to encourage more income for the country…we need to focus on how to increase tourist expenditure and length of stay…there are also potential markets such as female travellers, seniors and Muslims as well as other niche markets like health and wellness, weddings and honeymoons and green tourism that generate revenue.”
The proposed plan will focus on key strategies; tourism promotion, tourism product and service development and tourism management.
For the tourism promotion plan, the minister said she will work with TAT and related organisations to help promote the country in line with the TAT campaign to present a “quality leisure destination”.
For tourism products and service, the plan will continue to work on eight geographical clusters and develop specialised marketing segments such medical tourism, seniors, MICE, ecotourism, sports, cruises, and Muslim markets.
The minister said: “In the eight cluster development plan, five clusters are a priority…the cluster plan is not a new project and has been delayed for sometime due to a change of leadership in provinces, municipalities, and organisations that prevented the project moving forward.”
The eight tourism clusters are: Lanna Culture; South I-San Civilisation; Active Beach; Royal Coast; Andaman; Cultural in central; Khong River; and Chao Phraya River.
The cluster plan dates back five to seven years.
For the tourism management strategy, the plan will urge integration with all sectors to move tourism forward; develop quality and skills in tourism human resources and tourism operators; upgrade the Tourism Intelligence Centre and enforce laws and regulations.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia