Pattaya Creates Special Marketing Fund

Pattaya creates special marketing fund

PATTAYA: -- Pattaya-based tourism-related public and private organisations are pooling a 20 million baht (US$574,600) budget for domestic and international marketing.

The special fund came amid anticipation that the recession in Europe and the US, as well as tourists' shaken confidence in Thailand after the siege of the two main airports end-November, would cost the number of foreign arrivals to Pattaya to drop by about 30 to 40 per cent.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Pattaya office, Pattaya Municipality Administration, Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter and Pattaya Business Tourism Association are mapping out domestic roadshows to various parts of Thailand in a bid to increase the number of Thais and foreign expatriates to Pattaya.

TAT Pattaya office director, Mr Niti Kongrut, said key source markets would be from Bangkok and large provinces in the northern and Esarn regions, and key products would include new attractions such as a modern shopping arcade by the beach and Pattaya Floating Market.

He said nearby TAT offices in Trat and Rayong would also join the Pattaya office in staging some provincial cluster festivals, launching self-drive packages and introducing interactive online blogs to boost interest in the three destinations among Thais and foreign expatriates.

-- ttgasia.com 2008-12-19