Thailand To Focus On Rich Tourists In 2005

[george]

Thailand to focus on top end of tourist market in 2005

PHUKET: -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) yesterday unveiled strategic plans for the coming year which show a strong shift in favour of high income tourists, while revealing that the mushrooming of low-cost airlines had boosted tourist numbers by 20 percent over the first nine months of 2004.

According to the TAT's Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing, Juthaporn Rerngron-asa, the organization hopes to see a 4-5 percent increase in domestic tourism next year, while at the same time achieving a target of 13 million foreign visitors.

The 20 percent rise in tourist numbers over the first nine months of 2004 can be attributed both to the birth of several no-frills airlines this year and also to the tourism slump last year brought about by the Iraq War and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which pushed down tourist figures by 10.09 percent.

But this year tourism has picked up, and the TAT is confident of reaching its target of 12 million foreign visitors by the end of 2004.

Fifty percent of foreign tourists visiting Thailand are now from the Asian Pacific region, with considerable numbers from Malaysia, Japan, China, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, while increasing numbers are coming from new markets such as the Middle East, Russia and Scandinavia.

Mrs. Juthaporn said that next year the TAT would focus on attracting quality, rather than quantity, with an emphasis on the top end of the tourism scale.

This would mean an increased shift towards niche markets such as convention groups, honeymooners, health tourists, and golf and spa tourists.

-- TNA 2004-12-07

[Crazy Dave]

A new thailand elite card in the offing???

seems the last one did not do so well....

[astral]

And a good message to the cut price airlines not to dump any more back packers here.

Remember Nokair goes "Cheep, cheap".

[lovethailandlongtime]

So their trying to put the brakes on the back packers..Are they putting back packer in the same basket as the meat packer i wonder????If they where trying to get rid of the meat packers surely they would have no call for this new airport they have just built as i was under the impression that sex tourism is the key stone in the thai economey...

So they're now trying to poach some of singapores tourist market now are they?

lol...goood luck to em...

[ovenman]

PHUKET: --  The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) yesterday unveiled strategic plans for the coming year which show a strong shift in favour of high income tourists,

...snip...

This would mean an increased shift towards niche markets such as convention groups, honeymooners, health tourists, and golf and spa tourists.

I wonder what the actual strategy is that is supposed to entice this multitude of high-rollers to come to Thailand and drop their collective bankroll (aside from the usual meaningless TAT posturing that one reads in such stories)?

[marquess]

I hope that they fail miserably, if there were no lower incomed tourists, then there would probably not be much of a tourist industry here anyway.

[Fah Dee]

In dnt knw about you guys, but I'm guessing gambling and casinos.

If they are legalized..watch it all boom..prbbly out of control.

[lovethailandlongtime]

I dont think letting the thais gamble would do anyone any favours,least of all the already poor.

[mouse]

When will they learn that people that have money do not squader it. If they did, then they would not be rich would they? The rich want isolation, clean beaches, top services. I do not see such services being prevelant in Pattaya. Never been to Phuket.

Let us suppose that the goal of getting the rich clients here succeeds. Who will benefit? I suppose only a elite few that can effectively cater to this group. I do not see benefits for the masses, unless they all want to become chambermaids and waiters.

I say stop re-inventing the wheel. Instead study how many Thai women have freinds or are married to foreigners that send monthly amounts to Thailand. These amounts likely amonting to millions upon millions, do trickle down to the masses, cause the money is spend in local villages and throughout Thailand.

Never repair something that is not broken!!!

[ToeCutter]

Hmm, things dont get any easier for any of us "Lifers" eh... What I would like to see in the next headline is "TAT stops all ***holes from entering the country, but has no problem is you're a bit poor like the rest of us and mean well". I won't hold my breath, anyway, I still think Thailands no. 1 regardless

[lovethailandlongtime]

When will they learn that people that have money do not squader it.  If they did, then they would not be rich would they?  The rich want isolation, clean beaches, top services.  I do not see such services being prevelant in Pattaya.  Never been to Phuket.

Let us suppose that the goal of getting the rich clients here succeeds.  Who will benefit?  I suppose only a elite few that can effectively cater to this group.  I do not see benefits for the masses, unless they all want to become chambermaids and waiters.

I say stop re-inventing the wheel.  Instead study how many Thai women have freinds or are married to foreigners that send monthly amounts to Thailand.  These amounts likely amonting to millions upon millions, do trickle down to the masses, cause the money is spend in local villages and throughout Thailand. 

Never repair something that is not broken!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well put!

[ovenman]

But this year tourism has picked up, and the TAT is confident of reaching its target of 12 million foreign visitors by the end of 2004.

...snip...

Mrs. Juthaporn said that next year the TAT would focus on attracting quality, rather than quantity, with an emphasis on the top end of the tourism scale.

Wait and see, there will be another story on inbound tourism before too long in which some other TAT poo-yai will be proclaiming how they are targeting 15 million foreign visitors in Thailand during 2005.

[Felt 35]

focus on attracting quality, rather than quantity

Really look forward to this last "hub"

Will be nice when Patong is level with the ground and we can see the Beach again.

Will probably be a lot of tourist coming.... for Pad thai and...Golf

[Felt 35]

Let us suppose that the goal of getting the rich clients here succeeds.

No Way.

The rich want isolation, clean beaches, top services.

Just that.

[kreon]

Thailand to focus on top end of tourist market in 2005 

PHUKET: --  The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) yesterday unveiled strategic plans for the coming year which show a strong shift in favour of high income tourists, while revealing that the mushrooming of low-cost airlines had boosted tourist numbers by 20 percent over the first nine months of 2004.

According to the TAT's Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing, Juthaporn Rerngron-asa, the organization hopes to see a 4-5 percent increase in domestic tourism next year, while at the same time achieving a target of 13 million foreign visitors.

The 20 percent rise in tourist numbers over the first nine months of 2004 can be attributed both to the birth of several no-frills airlines this year and also to the tourism slump last year brought about by the Iraq War and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which pushed down tourist figures by 10.09 percent.

But this year tourism has picked up, and the TAT is confident of reaching its target of 12 million foreign visitors by the end of 2004.

Fifty percent of foreign tourists visiting Thailand are now from the Asian Pacific region, with considerable numbers from Malaysia, Japan, China, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, while increasing numbers are coming from new markets such as the Middle East, Russia and Scandinavia.

Mrs. Juthaporn said that next year the TAT would focus on attracting quality, rather than quantity, with an emphasis on the top end of the tourism scale. 

This would mean an increased shift towards niche markets such as convention groups, honeymooners, health tourists, and golf and spa tourists.

-- TNA 2004-12-07

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

here we go again.......strategies? what strategy? i did not know thai's were good at that

it's the usual bullshit.........elite card part 2......maybe that's what toxin was talking about the other day

[DaveYo]

I had a Dream, Dream, I had a Dream Dream. Tsk Tsk, so they say, keep on Dreaming. That is typical of Thai, they like to dream of that Almighty Dollar.

This is a nice idea. How many foreigners here can become shrinks. Thai's do need some special mind favors.

Daveyo

[TLok]

Didn't I read somewhere that they now want people going on visa runs carrying 10,000 baht in cash? How long before the highway robber figgure out that hitting a mini bus full of farangs will net them 60-70K? As if the boys in brown didn't have enough to do already.

[Foggy Bottom]

I read it as a "doomed to fail plan"

1 - Numbers are to be pushed UP - this neccesarily means marketing to the masses, the type that are average income and like using budget airlines

2. A Boom in budget airlines - redirecting marketing to the top end will cause a stall in the market for the budgets - and remember Thaksin owns 51% of one of them .... so no way that's going to happen.

3. Assuming the marketing goes ahead and the rich start arriving, the drop in marketing to the "poor" will cause a substantial drop in their arrivals - figure it as +10% rich / - 10% poor ..... which group of 10% represents the bigger number through the gates at Don Muang? Soon as the numbers are off target, they'll go back to marketing to Joe Average.

As for the forgetting quantity and going for quality ..... anyone else feel this is rather an underhand insult thrown at all those who have been before? Imagine how the tentative returnees are going to receive that in their decision to come back again? Another kick in the teeth for the farangs.

Also - don't let that 50% of arrivals are Asian statistic fool you - check out both the average length of stay and the average daily spend as posted on the Immigration website ..... Europeans still occupy over half of the "bedroom nights in kingdom" and "total spend by regional nationality" - too many surrounding countries are just day trippers and weekenders - contribute nothing to the economy except lots of overtime salary for the airport staff, Customs & Immigration - paid for by European tourist "dollars".

[Kan Win]

Never been to Phuket 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mouse have a look please....

Phuket 1

Phuket 2 and more

Never repair something that is not broken!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But, it would have be broken already if not for those tourist coming back year after year and finding their own paradise here in Thailand.

The rich want isolation

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

............... you are correct on this one.

Yours as always,

Happy Days

Kan Win

P.S. Sorry folks the

do not work one Kan not Win each and every time.

This post has been edited by Kan Win: Today, 2004-12-07 21:16:37

Edit: Thanks for the pics - your quotes, I fixed.

Edited December 7, 2004 by RDN

[sabaijai]

Let us suppose that the goal of getting the rich clients here succeeds. Who will benefit?

Answer: Suppliers overseas and officials here in the Ministry of Tourism.

Economic analyses of tourism in Thailand show that high-end and package tourists leave behind the least amount of local revenue of any sector in the tourist market. 50% of the money they pay goes to the tour operator back home, and only half to the local wholesaler. To provide the comfort the high-end tourist demands, the hotels make use of a significant percentage imported goods (eg certain foods, appliances), foreign manpower (typically the hotel GM is a farang or a Japanese, who repatriates part of his salary) -- all part of what the studies call 'leakage' since the money doesn't stay in Thailand.

The Ministry of Tourism/TAT is well aware of these facts (they're common knowledge in the business, plus they've all attended seminars where the studies are made public), but it doesn't phase them since the ministry and TAT principals benefit directly from contracts with overseas suppliers through all manner of incentives and thinly disguised kickbacks. I've worked with them before, seen it all firsthand.

On the other hand the net revenue for the budget tourist is the highest of any sector in the market. But there's no middleman between that market and the ministry, so no incentive to support that market.

In a nutshell, they're selling the country out for short-term gain. It's called Thaksinomics ...

[dragonmasterzip]

When will they learn that people that have money do not squader it.  If they did, then they would not be rich would they?  The rich want isolation, clean beaches, top services.  I do not see such services being prevelant in Pattaya.  Never been to Phuket.

Let us suppose that the goal of getting the rich clients here succeeds.  Who will benefit?  I suppose only a elite few that can effectively cater to this group.  I do not see benefits for the masses, unless they all want to become chambermaids and waiters.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rich people are happy to squander money on themselves. They do it in resorts the world over. Some even go to Thailand and do it.

All the governement is trying to do is upgrade the level of buyers. Take a look at Gallo wine in the US as an example. They started with Thunderbird Wine which was cheap Port cut with Vitamin C and sold to the poorest blacks and winos.

Over the years, Gallo reached a level of sales at 100 million cases and decided selling MORE wine was not the way to go. It sold the Thunderbird brand and introduce Hearty Burgandy a very good very inexpensive wine. Over the years its cheaper brands were phased out as they introduced more upscale wines. They roughly held at 100 million cases but increased their revenues 100 fold.

The idea only a few will benefit is BS. Yes of course the richer more connected people will get more money. They get more of the backpackers money and more of the low end tourists money.

If for example Thailand get 20 billion dollars in tourist income now on 14 million people and it can get 100 billion on the same 14 million by upgrading its tourist to a higher end client, you think Thailand does not have more money? Go back to the second grade and study math.

Now the fact will remain the poor in this situation will be poorer. This is true the world over. Look at China where now you have huge numbers of mllionaires compared to 20 years ago. The poorest people are not getting this New Wealth and are in fact poorer, but China over al is richer.

Governments do not care about the poor. That is lip service; not dissimilar to those of you, myself included who promised undying love if we could just ( no, I'll only put it in a little)!

They need the poor and ignorant, because you can get far more money and power exploiting the poor than you can the rich.

Rich people do not squander money on politicians, they invest in them and expect a return on investment.

Ask a poor person and they will tell you they are helpless against the politicians.

Rich people just smile and change the subject.

[Backpack_thailand]

And a good message to the cut price airlines not to dump any more back packers here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Easy...!!!

Without Backpackers, who's gonna discover the next "secret paradise" that all the regular tourists can then come in and destroy...??

You need us, more than you realise!

[Phil Conners]

There seems no limit to the denial some people live in.

Since when is Scandinavia an "emerging market" for Thailand anyway?

[Johpa]

So their trying to put the brakes on the back packers..

Don't want those nasty backpackers spending money in guesthouses and eateries not controlled by the ruling class. I mean some of those establishments are even run by ethnic Thais, or, god forbid, those dirty, uneducated, and sexually promiscuos members of the Northern Thai highland minority groups.

[capt_canada42]

Do any you people ever read anything else?

If you did you might have noticed Australians found that back packers left the most amount of money of all the travelers in Australia. They stay the longest and spend the most over a long period of time.

As for the TAT understanding this I have often wondered if they are smart enought to read with understanding as these figures have been out for some time.

[Darkling]

When will they learn that people that have money do not squader it.  If they did, then they would not be rich would they?  The rich want isolation, clean beaches, top services.  I do not see such services being prevelant in Pattaya.  Never been to Phuket.

Let us suppose that the goal of getting the rich clients here succeeds.  Who will benefit?  I suppose only a elite few that can effectively cater to this group.  I do not see benefits for the masses, unless they all want to become chambermaids and waiters.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rich people are happy to squander money on themselves. They do it in resorts the world over. Some even go to Thailand and do it.

All the governement is trying to do is upgrade the level of buyers. Take a look at Gallo wine in the US as an example. They started with Thunderbird Wine which was cheap Port cut with Vitamin C and sold to the poorest blacks and winos.

Over the years, Gallo reached a level of sales at 100 million cases and decided selling MORE wine was not the way to go. It sold the Thunderbird brand and introduce Hearty Burgandy a very good very inexpensive wine. Over the years its cheaper brands were phased out as they introduced more upscale wines. They roughly held at 100 million cases but increased their revenues 100 fold.

The idea only a few will benefit is BS. Yes of course the richer more connected people will get more money. They get more of the backpackers money and more of the low end tourists money.

If for example Thailand get 20 billion dollars in tourist income now on 14 million people and it can get 100 billion on the same 14 million by upgrading its tourist to a higher end client, you think Thailand does not have more money? Go back to the second grade and study math.

Now the fact will remain the poor in this situation will be poorer. This is true the world over. Look at China where now you have huge numbers of mllionaires compared to 20 years ago. The poorest people are not getting this New Wealth and are in fact poorer, but China over al is richer.

Governments do not care about the poor. That is lip service; not dissimilar to those of you, myself included who promised undying love if we could just ( no, I'll only put it in a little)!

They need the poor and ignorant, because you can get far more money and power exploiting the poor than you can the rich.

Rich people do not squander money on politicians, they invest in them and expect a return on investment.

Ask a poor person and they will tell you they are helpless against the politicians.

Rich people just smile and change the subject.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are deep mate but you make a lot of sense i just love your last paragraph.

[Darkling]

Do any you people ever read anything else?

If you did you might have noticed Australians found that back packers left the most amount of money of all the travelers in Australia. They stay the longest and spend the most over a long period of time.

As for the TAT understanding this I have often wondered if they are smart enought to read with understanding as these figures have been out for some time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But they dont stay in the 4 and 5 star hotels

[sunchild]

Being a part of the happy and rich 'few' I can tell you that they were more scared by the rude way and often inhumane way the Thai government deals with people.

What to do after I am robbed? At that moment I am poor too, and then I appreciate it to have a government that not only cares about money but about giving attention to everybody.

When Thailand treats the world with dollarsigns, Thailand, and Thais abroad will get the same treatment, I fear.

Please let the TAT concentrate no developing the Isaan.

[Darkling]

So their trying to put the brakes on the back packers..

Don't want those nasty backpackers spending money in guesthouses and eateries not controlled by the ruling class. I mean some of those establishments are even run by ethnic Thais, or, god forbid, those dirty, uneducated, and sexually promiscuos members of the Northern Thai highland minority groups.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL

[Pattayaguy1999]

I dont think letting the thais gamble would do anyone any favours,least of all the already poor.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Thai authorities want to tap into the millions that are going across the Cambodian border each week. Many developing countries do not allow their citizens into the casinos. A foreign passport must be produced. Now, how do the Thais get full benefit of local revenue but avoid the massive problems gambling can create? A question I hope the Thai authorities examine before they decide to open any casinos.