TAT to Spend 1.9 Billion for Campaigns to Attract More Tourists

[webfact]

 

by Krajangwit Johjit

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to roll out more promotions and increase airline seat capacity, in order to attract more tourists to Thailand.

 

TAT said that it will revise its 2023 tourism revenue target following the allocation of a budget by the government for tourism promotional campaigns on Tuesday. The cabinet approved a total of 3.9 billion baht for promotional campaigns, of which 1.93 billion baht will be used for marketing to help the Thai tourism sector.

 

TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn noted that the new target will be in line with political and economic factors, but the reassessment will put TAT’s target higher than its current target revenue goal of 2.38 trillion baht.

 

One of the issues TAT will focus on will be increasing airline seat capacity. According to the TAT governor, its long-haul marketing campaigns will follow the "ABC strategy", which stands for Airline focus, Big cities and beyond, and Collaboration with agents.

 

In this strategy, TAT will establish partnerships with airlines to increase the number of charter flights connecting potential market cities to the country. The agency will also target countries that have the potential to stimulate spending in their cities through events and roadshows, as well as assist tourism operators in strengthening their business in the international market.

 

TAT will also hold trade shows and roadshows to attract visitors through high-spending tourism trends such as luxury, health, and wellness, or responsible tourism. Target markets include China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and other countries.

 

Meanwhile, the TAT governor added that Krungthai Bank is currently preparing the system for the "We Travel Together" hotel subsidy scheme, which was also approved by the cabinet this week with a budget of 2 billion baht. He added that the campaign might be ready for registration in February, with a travel period that lasts through September 2023.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230126134138750

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2023-01-27

 

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[jcmj]

And when it fails will they just pump more money into it and other schemes or face reality. Too many unknown factors this year. To hell with helping the people and spend away. 

[Aussieroaming]

Actually they will spend about 100 baht and the remaining money will disappear as normal.

[jacko45k]

Darn, they must have been spending on bigger troughs!

[OneMoreFarang]

I would love to see an independent review where all that money goes. 

[Sydebolle]

Budget toggles between this article at 1.9 billion and, also in today's news, 3.9 billion - same, same but different. Wondering who authorizes how much money and how much is really spent on quality endeavours withOUT the usual line losses ........ 

[mikebell]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

1.93 billion baht will be used for marketing to help the Thai tourism sector.

If they used this money to subsidise the taxi cartel which undermines TAT's efforts every minute of every day, they might attract more tourists.  I'm just back from Chaweng, Samui where a four kilometre journey was always a minimum 200 baht.  The journey to the airport lasted five minutes and was a 300 fixed fare.  I've crossed both Phuket and now Samui off my list of where to spend my frozen pension.

I've had cheaper journeys in central London.

Edited January 27, 2023 by mikebell
extra thoughts.

[herfiehandbag]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Target markets include China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and other countries.

Not bothering with Taiwan then?

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

TAT said that it will revise its 2023 tourism revenue target following the allocation of a budget by the government for tourism promotional campaigns on Tuesday. The cabinet approved a total of 3.9 billion baht for promotional campaigns, of which 1.93 billion baht will be used for marketing to help the Thai tourism sector.

Best job in Thailand... money for nothing 

[ezzra]

1.9 billion baht is A LOT of money to spend on promoting something that is pretty much self-promoting already, try to ask where the money gone and see what answers you'll get, I'd like to be working at the TAT in charge on the budget...

[nigelforbes]

40 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Not bothering with Taiwan then?

When Thailand refers to China it includes Taiwan, it doesn't separate them, even in their export reports.

[ignore it]

An informant at TAT reports there are several new campaigns being proposed.
Including:
Show off your bling on Beach road and Walking Street
RTP will give you VVIP service 
Go adventure treking on Chaing Mai streets
Exciting and edgy diving off mysterious Ko Tao
Feel safe at night with special visa inspection services by RTP
Cheap legal weed  free delivery 

Edited January 27, 2023 by ignore it

[sammieuk1]

Is he the poster boy for these amazing new chapters .. Chapter one get rinsed at every opportunity ???? 

[Orinoco]

Quote

The cabinet approved a total of 3.9 billion baht for promotional campaigns, of which 1.93 billion baht will be used for marketing to help the Thai tourism sector.

Lashings of brown envelopes 

and BMW's all round.

Thank you very big.

[mikeymike100]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I would love to see an independent review where all that money goes. 

Are  you suggesting that they don't have auditors checking??????

[bobandyson]

And how much of this budget will be allocated to cleaning up the extra plastic waste generated by all these hordes of tourists and the environmental damage they do at destinations?

 

'Sod Mother Earth, just give us all your dosh'

[jvs]

It would be a whole lot better to allocate that money elsewhere

and build up a reputation so people will want to come back.

Does make a lot more sense to me.

Enforce the laws and get rid of the mafia,

If they really expect a great number of tourist already then why the

need to advertise?

Oh,yes,the Mercedes needs to be replaced and there is a great deal

on a condo in southern France.

[Orinoco]

16 minutes ago, bobandyson said:

And how much of this budget will be allocated to cleaning up the extra plastic waste generated by all these hordes of tourists and the environmental damage they do at destinations?

 

'Sod Mother Earth, just give us all your dosh'

I do a agree with what you said

But the tourists don't  bring the plastic with them to Thailand.

its a home grown problem.

 

 

[steven100]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Target markets include China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia.

funny ....   they seems to have forgotten Taiwan .. 

[newnative]

    Pity that money wasn't spent on improving education.  Tourists have and will continue to come to Thailand without any campaign from TAT.  Think about the last place you visited.  Did you choose it because of some government campaign?  I know I never have.

[pomchop]

Go spend a day at immigration in Jomtiem and see how tourists who are in thailand already and would like to stay a bit longer are treated like irritating herds.  Part of any promotion should also include trying to make it simple and easy for those who might want to stay and spend money for another month or two without suspecting they all have nefarious intentions when most simply want to extend a vacation a bit longer.

 

 

As for the expats...promote a snow bird visa for six months avail once a year  that is online and simple to get as long as clean record etc....there are a LOT of snowbirds worldwide that go to mexico or spain or wherever to spend cold winter months in warm climates....not exactly tourists but not exactly residents.   Promote the off season to snow birds from countries down under etc whose seasons are reversed and would very nicely be added biz during Thailand's low season.

 

Promote that Thailand has warm weather year round and welcomes snow birds....lots and lots of retired couples come here rent condos or hotels spend a pile of $$ and get treated like <deleted> ( and yes often yelled at ) by immigration with visa extensions involving tons of worthless forms to be filled out, copies of this and that, 1900 baht fee or pay an agent even more....even with a tourist visa after 60 days have to do extensions and/or a visa run to cambodia  (3500 thb min and wasted full l day) or fly away to vietnam or ??.  Are these snow birds really some kind of threat to Thailand?   

 

I see a lot of trade show junkets in list of targeted countries which will be very nice expensive paid trips for a lot of TAT staff and especially big bosses to go visit these countries stay in top hotels, wine and dine, etc. 

 

I know this as I used to actually do a ton of these "junkets"  (not in Thailand) all over the USA, Canada, Europe etc and can say that it was a very nice life indeed....Spend a few days at a trade show, stay in top notch hotels,  go to a lot of fancy dinners/receptions, get treated like royalty....all on the Tourism authority's or  hotels or attractions  $$.....sweet. 

 

 

[Emdog]

 

"One of the issues TAT will focus on will be increasing airline seat capacity." If Thailand could increase demand, the airlines would increase supply of seats. And at the same time TAT wants to increase charter flights, which I assume would eat into regular scheduled commercial flights. Right and left hands don't know what they're doing?

Someone suggested audit of where funds go, but I'd bet decision makers already know exactly where the money goes

[Pedrogaz]

TAT being given billion to throw away. TIT. Where is the neutron that people in gubmint share?

[nigelforbes]

2 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

TAT being given billion to throw away. TIT. Where is the neutron that people in gubmint share?

What country in the world that has a sizeable tourist industry, doesn't give its tourism function a decent budget to do their job? Yet give Thailand Tourist Authority a budget  to do their job and suddenly it's money that's thrown away, just because this is Thailand....really?, 

[Pedrogaz]

Just now, nigelforbes said:

What country in the world that has a sizeable tourist industry, doesn't give its tourism function a decent budget to do their job? Yet give Thailand Tourist Authority a budget  to do their job and suddenly it's money that's thrown away, just because this is Thailand....really?, 

TAT are incompetent. Use the money to hire someone with a functioning brain. Watch their forecasts in future and see how deathly accurate they are.

[nigelforbes]

29 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

TAT are incompetent. Use the money to hire someone with a functioning brain. Watch their forecasts in future and see how deathly accurate they are.

 

It's a marketing function, not a precision tool maker! Plus, they exceeded their arrivals target last year, looks pretty accurate to me.

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

will be increasing airline seat capacity.

Well I never:

 

[rudi49jr]

“TAT to Spend 1.9 Billion for Campaigns to Attract More Tourists”

 

At least half of which will disappear into the very deep pockets of corrupt TAT officials and their ‘sponsors’ higher up the food chain. 

[OneMoreFarang]

5 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

Are  you suggesting that they don't have auditors checking??????

 

[GypsyT]

"When Thailand refers to China it includes Taiwan, it doesn't separate them, even in their export reports. "

 

China IS correct;

"The official name of Taiwan is the Republic of China although it has had various names, including Formosa."

 

- The current BIG China stole the name...