Quality Tourists

[naka]

The Thai Sports and Tourism Minister in particular, and Thai politicians in general rant on

ad-nauseum regarding their desire to attract mainly 'Quality Tourists'.

I have only one question ... What is the criteria for someone to qualify as a

'Quality Tourist' ? in the eyes of these people.

Naka.

[In the Rai!]

The Thai Sports and Tourism Minister in particular, and Thai politicians in general rant on

ad-nauseum regarding their desire to attract mainly 'Quality Tourists'.

I have only one question ... What is the criteria for someone to qualify as a

'Quality Tourist' ? in the eyes of these people.

Naka.

I would take a guess and say one with lots of cash and that loves to spend it.

[taxexile]

when thailand was relatively undiscovered it might have been considered an exotic and "quality" destination.

these days it is mostly a destination for the packaged hoards and those looking for low prices.

hard as it might try to position itself as an upscale destination , until it learns to treat its visitors and guests with fairness and courtesy , and gives them protection from all the rip offs , taxi scams , dual pricing , elastic regulations and all the other things that can spoil the travel experience as soon as the visitor steps outside of the hotel , then it will never rise above the ordinary.

only quality destinations regularly attract quality tourists.

thailand is not there yet , and should be working on improving itself , rather than seeking 'quality' visitors who would only be disappointed by what they find in the big tourist centres here.

[steveromagnino]

The Thai Sports and Tourism Minister in particular, and Thai politicians in general rant on

ad-nauseum regarding their desire to attract mainly 'Quality Tourists'.

I have only one question ... What is the criteria for someone to qualify as a

'Quality Tourist' ? in the eyes of these people.

Naka.

At a guess

- high spend per day on shopping, dining, hotel (most important)

- doesn't go to support black market industry (prostitution, drugs)

- multiple people (husband/wife, family, group of friends

- stays for decent period and visits multiple locations

- repeat visitor

Given that someone staying at a decent hotel, eating at decent restuarants and dropping cash at decent shopping centres might have a daily spend of say 7,000b per day per person; logic would suggest that they could perhaps replace a (in the eyes of TAT) number of tourists who stay at cheap 500b guesthouses, eat street food and buy copy T shirts, spending say 1,000b a day per person.

Of course, the issue of money flowing into MNC hands vs. local hands comes up, but at the end of the day, building a country's tourism on full moon drug parties, cheap beer, prostitution and fake t shirts isn't a sustainable one. And for some higher end tourists, they don't want to see the 'low quality' tourists and the trade catering to them when they come (you can easily see this opinion even on this board, where some people refuse to go to Pattaya for this exact reason).

Judging by the way Pattaya is developing (e.g. Mantra, Gulliver, nicer hotels, better pubs) this is already happenign on some levels; the number of low quality tourists is probably much the same, but at least now there are some people willing to spend some coin there on things other than hos, condom supplies and cheap beer.

[Robski]

If they get enough quality tourists they'll think about fixing all the pavements. Maybe..

[OlRedEyes]

Apart from all the other issues like the third-world environment, high end tourism will never materialise until the local powers that be understand a simple philosophy; service first, then money follows.

Pie in the sky comes to mind.

[kmart]

Thailand has all things to all people. Sexually pliant women has always been a staple though.

[bendix]

One who's money gets spread around all of Thailand, and not just diverted indirectly to Isaan villages.

[taxexile]

ah , so you mean one whose money gets trousered by the already mega rich members of the bangkok consortium who own the spa / hotel where the quality ( rich) tourists are sequestered during their stay ?

[Robski]

One who's money gets spread around all of Thailand, and not just diverted indirectly to Isaan villages.

Strange one Bendix. What would you suggest the people of Isaan do once the money has been re-diverted to it's 'correct' destination?

[Pakboong]

ah , so you mean one whose money gets trousered by the already mega rich members of the bangkok consortium who own the spa / hotel where the quality ( rich) tourists are sequestered during their stay ?

Bingo

[Ulysses G.]

The "quality" tourists that they are talking about are the ones that go to Europe or big sophisticated cities with great shopping, museums, plays and fantastic restaurants or very plush skiing resorts. The ones that spend tons of money on hotels and everything else. The ones with money to burn.

The problem is that these kind of tourists have very little interest in Thailand outside of visiting the Oriental Hotel for a few days and probably never will.

Where are the first rate plays and amazing ethnic restaurants? Where are the super-high quality goods and services?

Free-spending sex-tourists are Thailand's bread and butter and always will be and it is time to get used to it.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Ulysses G.

[davidjtayler]

Its all relative and depends who you ask ...

A travel agent or bar on Khaosan road will say 'the backpacker'

A goga bar dancer in Nana will say 'the sex tourist'

An Oriental hotel manager will say 'the rich and famous'

Horses for courses really ... whatever the quality tourist is, Thailand needs anyone and everyone it can get at the moment.

[In the Rai!]

Its all relative and depends who you ask ...

A travel agent or bar on Khaosan road will say 'the backpacker'

A goga bar dancer in Nana will say 'the sex tourist'

An Oriental hotel manager will say 'the rich and famous'

Horses for courses really ... whatever the quality tourist is, Thailand needs anyone and everyone it can get at the moment.

well said

[Pakboong]

The "quality" tourists that they are talking about are the ones that go to Europe or big sophisticated cities with great shopping, museums, plays and fantastic restaurants or very plush skiing resorts. The ones that spend tons of money on hotels and everything else. The ones with money to burn.

The problem is that these kind of tourists have very little interest in Thailand outside of visiting the Oriental Hotel for a few days and probably never will.

Where are the first rate plays and amazing ethnic restaurants? Where are the super-high quality goods and services?

Free-spending sex-tourists are Thailand's bread and butter and always will be and it is time to get used to it.

The absolute worst possible scenario for the mega rich is for an Issan farm girl move into the house next door and bring her family to eat som tham every day in the front yard. We Farang facilitate this scenario without giving it any thought.

[naka]

Iv'e always wondered why many Thai's and some Farangs look down on backpackers.

My own experiencies over decades of living in Asia is that bakpackers tend to

come from more affluent families and are better educated ( gap year e.g. )

than the average young foreign tourist.

The mere fact that they come half way across the world when in their teens or very

early twenties say's a lot about their outlook.

Today's backpakers are also very likely to be tomorrow's movers and shakers.

Naka.

[ZZZ]

If they are looking for Quality tourists that have a lot of money to spend why is the main theme of the Thai Elite/Thai longstay and other promotions usually rebates to save money???

If you want quality tourists you need to offer quality, not a rundown environment full of garbage. Use the promotion money to clean up the place and fix infrastructure like sidewalks and unsightly plumbing and wireing along the tourist areas. This will automatically bring in quality tourists.

[naka]

If they are looking for Quality tourists that have a lot of money to spend why is the main theme of the Thai Elite/Thai longstay and other promotions usually rebates to save money???

If you want quality tourists you need to offer quality, not a rundown environment full of garbage. Use the promotion money to clean up the place and fix infrastructure like sidewalks and unsightly plumbing and wireing along the tourist areas. This will automatically bring in quality tourists.

I hear that's been pencilled into the next 50 year plan.

Naka.

[PhilHarries]

The tourists they want are the ones who will pitch up at LHR (et al) and throw all their fat wallets and credit cards into a container which is then loaded onto a BKK bound freight flight. The "tourists" then p1ss off back to Surbiton, or wherever, and go back to work to earn the money to do it again next year. In a way this would be good for the tourists, at least they only get ripped off once in their holiday!

What does Thailand have to offer?

Beaches?

In the main scruffy, dirty and plagued by scabby dogs and pushy vendors for everything from tee shirts to game boys (of both types ). In any case why do tourists go to, say, Samui, and spend their time around the hotel pool?

Temples?

Again, in the main, see beaches above minus some of the vendors. Those that are not of that ilk are the big ones in BKK and they're not temples they are tourist traps. But nevertheless just how many temples do folks want to visit in an average two week holiday?

National Parks?

Disregarding the pricing ripoff, which is a subject that elicits a fair number of conflicting views, they are nothing but scruffy garbage strewn tracts of once beautiful forest now sadly abused for commercial gain. At weekends they are infested by the 4x4 brigade complete with ghetto blasters.

Sports?

OK, but just how many times do they want to go paragliding, bungee jumping, jet ski noise-making etc etc. For golfers it's a paradise but for golfer's wives and families it may be hel_l on earth. The main attraction is that the weather is always conducive to outdoor activities and it's cheap. Scuba diving is one of the big attractions but you really have to go to the Andaman sea to get the best.

Culture?

Yes you can go round hill tribe villages and see the cuddly little folks in their traditional costumes and pay to have you photo taken with them. It's OK, as soon as your coach is round the corner they are back in their Mega Death tee shirts and denim pants and their minders have stripped them of any takings.

Food?

Now you got me! The food is arguably the best on earth, so why do so many tourists patronise MacDonalds, Pizza Hut et al?

Shopping?

Well I'll go to the foot of my stairs! Just dragged the family on a 12 hour flight costing a couple of grand all to go round a fcukin' shopping mall and buy stuff you can get in any high street . Or you can go round the markets and buy touristy trash at ripoff prices.

Nightlife?

Yeeeaaahhhh, way to go baybeee! NO! Quality tourists do not indulge in that sort of activity. Quality tourists sit on their hotel balconys in the evening sipping Chardonnay and reading Dostoyevsky.

I could go on but I won't (thank god you all say!). So why do I like Thailand? Precisely because it aint a "quality tourist" place. Sure it's scruffy, disorganised, dishonest and sleazy but I love it. Some one defined quality tourists as those who spend 7000 Baht a day against those who stay in 500 Baht guest houses spending 1000 Baht a day. Well I stay in a 500 Baht guest house and budget 100 GBP (circa 7000 Baht) per day, and usually spend it, so where does that leave me? Replies not required, I know my place.

PS any truth in the rumour that a copy of Quiet Flows The Don has been spotted in the Dog's B*ll*cks?

[cdnvic]

Part of the reason for Thailand's success to date is that you didn't have to be a "quality tourist" to fit in. The sooner Thailand accepts it's slightly disheveled but loyal customers, and the sooner the customers accept a few broken sidewalks, the happier both sides will be.

[Cpt_M0ney_Sh0t]

W00t! Bayan Tree Club baby

I hooked my dad up yesterday with a Suite on the Club Floor of the Bayan Tree hotell and today I am taking him to Pattaya.... "Too Buushi (Bushwa'??? I know I messed up the spelling, you know that french word borshwa, given to upper class members of society) for me, everyone seems to be acting funny...gimme my convient Pattaya anyway."

Now me I like the Bayan Tree, but I also like Pattaya too, dose that make me a quality Tourist and my Old Man not? or are neither one of us in that catagory unless we drop like 10 grand a trip?

Who knows who cares, Thailand will continue to attract who it attracts... They need to do something about the herds of Chineese tour buss rabble that shove their way around every were. You know they have problems when you go to the Imperial Palace for example and all the signs are in Thai and English EXCEPT for one in the bathrooms outside were there is just a sign inside next to the stalls thats ONLY in chineese....one can only imagine what the staff saw from the chineese there that made them feel as though they needed a message to adress them ONLY before they used the can. *shudder*

No way in hel_l thats quality.

[kmart]

The tourists they want are the ones who will pitch up at LHR (et al) and throw all their fat wallets and credit cards into a container which is then loaded onto a BKK bound freight flight. The "tourists" then p1ss off back to Surbiton, or wherever, and go back to work to earn the money to do it again next year. In a way this would be good for the tourists, at least they only get ripped off once in their holiday!

What does Thailand have to offer?

Beaches?

In the main scruffy, dirty and plagued by scabby dogs and pushy vendors for everything from tee shirts to game boys (of both types ). In any case why do tourists go to, say, Samui, and spend their time around the hotel pool?

Temples?

Again, in the main, see beaches above minus some of the vendors. Those that are not of that ilk are the big ones in BKK and they're not temples they are tourist traps. But nevertheless just how many temples do folks want to visit in an average two week holiday?

National Parks?

Disregarding the pricing ripoff, which is a subject that elicits a fair number of conflicting views, they are nothing but scruffy garbage strewn tracts of once beautiful forest now sadly abused for commercial gain. At weekends they are infested by the 4x4 brigade complete with ghetto blasters.

Sports?

OK, but just how many times do they want to go paragliding, bungee jumping, jet ski noise-making etc etc. For golfers it's a paradise but for golfer's wives and families it may be hel_l on earth. The main attraction is that the weather is always conducive to outdoor activities and it's cheap. Scuba diving is one of the big attractions but you really have to go to the Andaman sea to get the best.

Culture?

Yes you can go round hill tribe villages and see the cuddly little folks in their traditional costumes and pay to have you photo taken with them. It's OK, as soon as your coach is round the corner they are back in their Mega Death tee shirts and denim pants and their minders have stripped them of any takings.

Food?

Now you got me! The food is arguably the best on earth, so why do so many tourists patronise MacDonalds, Pizza Hut et al?

Shopping?

Well I'll go to the foot of my stairs! Just dragged the family on a 12 hour flight costing a couple of grand all to go round a fcukin' shopping mall and buy stuff you can get in any high street . Or you can go round the markets and buy touristy trash at ripoff prices.

Nightlife?

Yeeeaaahhhh, way to go baybeee! NO! Quality tourists do not indulge in that sort of activity. Quality tourists sit on their hotel balconys in the evening sipping Chardonnay and reading Dostoyevsky.

I could go on but I won't (thank god you all say!). So why do I like Thailand? Precisely because it aint a "quality tourist" place. Sure it's scruffy, disorganised, dishonest and sleazy but I love it. Some one defined quality tourists as those who spend 7000 Baht a day against those who stay in 500 Baht guest houses spending 1000 Baht a day. Well I stay in a 500 Baht guest house and budget 100 GBP (circa 7000 Baht) per day, and usually spend it, so where does that leave me? Replies not required, I know my place.

PS any truth in the rumour that a copy of Quiet Flows The Don has been spotted in the Dog's B*ll*cks?

LOL

A tad cynical Phil, but made me chuckle.

Thailand gets the tourists it deserves, and thats it.

[bkkmei]

Who knows who cares, Thailand will continue to attract who it attracts... They need to do something about the herds of Chineese tour buss rabble that shove their way around every were. You know they have problems when you go to the Imperial Palace for example and all the signs are in Thai and English EXCEPT for one in the bathrooms outside were there is just a sign inside next to the stalls thats ONLY in chineese....one can only imagine what the staff saw from the chineese there that made them feel as though they needed a message to adress them ONLY before they used the can. *shudder*

No way in hel_l thats quality.

If my understanding is correct - China is a HUGE growth market for the Thai tourist industry. You just need to see them frequenting the Louis Vuiton shops in Hong Kong to see the spending potential.

But as others have said I suspect 'quality tourists' entails the high spending five star hotels & restaurants. Bhutan for example has a minimum 200USD spend a day for tourists. Since that Bhutanese prince was such a hit in Thailand I wonder if TAT will try gain some tips from Bhutan???

[Donz]

They are probaly just wondering when Im comming back to Thailand.

[britmaveric]

Quality = those that use high end resorts.

[Rinrada]

Quality = £££££££££...$$$$$$$$$.......

[Mid]

a quality tourist is one who accommodates their selves in the correct manner so as to negate any dilution of their value due to the ' trickle down effect '

[singa-traz]

W00t! Bayan Tree Club baby

I hooked my dad up yesterday with a Suite on the Club Floor of the Bayan Tree hotell and today I am taking him to Pattaya.... "Too Buushi (Bushwa'??? I know I messed up the spelling, you know that french word borshwa, given to upper class members of society) for me, everyone seems to be acting funny...gimme my convient Pattaya anyway."

Wrong spelling: "Bourgeois" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeoisie)

And you won't say that anyway ... "Too nouveau riche" is better :-)

[ovenman]

Quality = £££££££££...$$$$$$$$$.......

Sounds cynical but I really do think that this is the recipe desired by many in the tourism-related sector of the government. I can't see it really happening on any sort of mass level any time soon for all of the infrastructure reasons laid out here and in other threads. I suppose it's human nature though to desire what one doesn't have, so why should it be any different for the Thai gov't or the TAT?

[Cpt_M0ney_Sh0t]

W00t! Bayan Tree Club baby

I hooked my dad up yesterday with a Suite on the Club Floor of the Bayan Tree hotell and today I am taking him to Pattaya.... "Too Buushi (Bushwa'??? I know I messed up the spelling, you know that french word borshwa, given to upper class members of society) for me, everyone seems to be acting funny...gimme my convient Pattaya anyway."

Wrong spelling: "Bourgeois" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeoisie)

And you won't say that anyway ... "Too nouveau riche" is better :-)

Thanks I could not for the life of me remember how to spell that, now nouveau riche implies NEW money spending in a gaudy fashion, say some Issan bar girl getting money and wearing 20 baht of gold and her bar girl uniform to the opera. Bourgeoisie, or the ebonisied shortened pronuciation that sounds like "Booshee" means anything really stereotypically High End.

Thanks again for the spelling though..