TAT targets more Japanese women and first-time visitors

By The Nation

 

Promoting more Japanese first-time and female visitors to Thailand is a core theme of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s marketing presence at Tourism Expo Japan (TEJ) 2017.

 

Formerly known as the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Tourism Expo, the country’s largest trade event will be held in Tokyo from Thursday until September 24.

 

Exhibitors from 150 countries and regions around the world and more than 1,180 companies will be in attendance. Nearly 50,000 trade visitors and 136,000 consumers are expected to visit.

 

This year will be an important year to promote Thailand as a preferred destination for Japanese travellers, as the two nations are celebrating 130 years of diplomatic relations.

 

Japan is one of seven countries expected to generate more than one million arrivals this year. With the Japanese economy showing strong signs of recovery, TAT believes the number of Japanese travelling abroad will soon rise significantly.

 

Thailand welcomed 1.4 million visitors from Japan in 2016, a 5 per cent increase over 2016.

 

In January-August 2017, Japanese arrivals to Thailand totalled 890,317, up 6.07 per cent over the same period last year. TAT expects the total number of Japanese arrivals to hit 1.5 million this year, generating tourism income of around 214 billion yen (Bt63.5 billion).

 

At TEJ 2017, the Thai team will organise several events to clarify the situation in Thailand to Japanese travel trade buyers, brief them on the marketing and promotion strategies in Japan, and introduce new products, services and activities of interest to Japanese visitors.

 

The 108-square-metre Thai pavilion will bear the themes of  “local experience” and “women travelling to Thailand”. The 10 Thai exhibitors in the Thai pavilion are Asiatique the Riverfront; Blue Elephant Cooking School and Restaurant; Urbana Hospitality; Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Bangkok; King Power International; The Ashlee Hotel Patong, Phuket; Thai Airways International; Olonade Travel Thailand; Mae Jo Golf Club and Resort; and the Duangtawan Hotel. 

 

TAT will launch its “Meet the NEW Thailand” campaign by changing the image of Thailand in the Japanese market as a destination for females, young people, work groups and first visitors. The campaign will feature Japanese Idol pop group Nogizaka 46. A workshop on targeting the female market will also be organised.

 

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said, “TAT is seeking to attract more middle to high-end visitors by targeting first-time visitors, as well as university students and newly working women. Also, we are expanding the activities and range of Thai destinations of interest to repeat visitors.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/business/30327238

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-9-20

Given Thailand's unbridled for Japan, you would think it would not be hard to entice Japanese women.  This is one of the more sensible ideas has has in a long time.  Then they have to spoil it: 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“Meet the NEW Thailand”

Makes one think there was something wrong with the old Thailand.  Of course, Thailand is moving backwards, as we all know. 

 

TAT targets, now, Japanese women.

Before Chinese groups.

Before that, Russians.

Can't escape the idea, one way or another, this targeting doesn't seem to succeed.

 

Targeting first time visitors as there id NO repeat visitors.

TarataTAT

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai pavilion will bear the themes of  “local experience” and “women travelling to Thailand”.

Mmm... maybe they need to rethink the branding plan, as many a local experience, do not a "quality" holiday make ???

 

But women travelling to Thailand?... brilliant... be sure to bring a trusted companion. Two for one advert

In the late 70s up to early 80s there were a lot of japanese tourists who went to Hong Kong where they were robbed. Robbers in Hong Kong at that time target the japanese tourists because they knew the japanese always carried a lot cash on them and japanese tourists could easily be identified.

Finally the japanese stopped visiting Hong Kong, very very few went there, until the government Tourism Board in Hong Kong did something to prevent the robbery. They had  red phones installed at many places in the tourist areas and they had japanese speaking operators who respone to the report of robbery. So the tourists who were robbed could immediately pick up a phone and give the name of the place which was written in japanese on the wall above the phone.(by the way the robber would come out of the small alleys all over the city and pull the tourists to the back alley to rob them, the Hong Kong citizens as usual would pretend they didn't see anything neither would they help to report the crime, yes, in China today the same thing still happen when they witness a crime they just turn a blind eye). Police could have more success in catching the robbers because of the immediate report of crime. Many police not in uniform were also patrolling the tourists area. Finally the robbery crime rate dropped and the Japanese tourists return to visit Hong Kong after more than 10 years of boycott of Hong Kong as a tourist destination.

If thailand makes a mistake with the Japanese may be the same thing would happen like in Hong Kong.

Madusa said:

"If Thailand makes a mistake" 

 

Wow, you are an optimist!   What do you mean "IF Thailand makes a mistake"?