Thailand Focuses On High Spending Tourists, Not Numbers

[george]

TAT focuses on spending, not numbers

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand's returning deputy governor for international marketing, Juthaporn Rerngronasa, has unveiled several strategies to approach a range of potential markets this year.

Juthaporn was reappointed to head the international marketing department following an internal management reshuffle supervised by the TAT's new governor, Suraphon Svetserni.

"This year, the authority will not aim at luring higher numbers of visitors, but will try to encourage visitors to spend more money while staying in the country," she said.

She added the agency would approach targeted markets through online and new-media channels, which are cheaper than conventional advertisements. Younger travellers in developed countries are the target.

The TAT has also prepared a campaign - "Amazing Thailand Amazing Value" - which is aimed at shoppers from across the region. Moreover, it will promote new tourist attractions to lure repeat visitors.

"What we have found is that the characteristics of Thai people and services attract repeat visitors. Thailand is like no other place in the world," said Juthaporn.

The agency will also produce more testimonial series to help promote tourism after noticing that English Premier League football team Liverpool's recent visit to the Emerald Temple in Bangkok lured many of the team's followers to the country.

A new tourism ambassador, Ryo Ishikawa, a famous Japanese golfer, was invited to help the TAT reclaim Japanese travellers this year. The Japanese market was one of the biggest decliners last year due to the political chaos in Thailand.

According to Juthaporn, the TAT will also promote Thailand as a centre of medical tourism. The Middle East is the main target. Moreover, "green tourism" campaigns are planned to appeal to tourists from Europe, where environmental awareness is high.

The Tourism and Sports Ministry on Friday said it was confident of reaching its tourism target of 16 million arrivals this year, up from 14 million in 2009.

Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa said officials had invited private associations to propose projects and marketing plans to take advantage of the recovery of the global economy.

Juthaporn said the government was prepared to extend waivers on visa fees for travellers, as well as parking and landing fees for airlines, which are due to finish at the end of March.

"Some airlines resumed operations to Thailand last quarter. Virgin Australia operates flights to Phuket. Korea's budget airline, Jin, is flying into Bangkok. Tiger Air of Singapore is adding services to Hat Yai and Krabi. Seasonal charter flights from Scandinavia and Russia are operating to Phuket and Pattaya, too," she added.

Domestically, TAT will go further with its national domestic campaign, "12 months 7 stars and 9 suns", with ads featuring Thai superstar Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre.

"Although we paid a high sum to get him (Thongchai), he has the ability to stimulate a huge tourism movement," said Juthaporn.

-- The Nation 2010-01-18

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[Slaps]

No visa fee

But a statement from your bank showing $20000 in your account 3 months before arrival

[ovenman]

But a statement from your bank showing $20000 in your account 3 months before arrival

And zero in your account upon departure.

Same old TAT song and dance: "quality tourists, not quantity, blah, blah, blah..."

[aeon]

Do they promote anti-scam and more safety policies? That would be a big enhancement to promote tourism on the long run.

[bkkjames]

Wasn't this tried before and failed miserably to attract the rich?

Amazing Value to attract high rollers? Doesn't sound right. Also, do they believe that the cost of the Visa is barrier to high-roller travel?

[alfbondi]

Who are they kidding bars girls and kathoeys thats what they should be promoting more of, maybe make an ad whereby after a round or two of golf, a couple of jap lads enjoy a nice cold beer in a bar surrounded by sexy thai girls. What do you think.

[mca]

This year, the authority will not aim at luring higher numbers of visitors, but will try to encourage visitors to spend more money while staying in the country," she said. To that end she encouraged visitors to plan to vacation in Phuket and take a Tuk Tuk for a 500 metre journey. TAT analysts have calculated this will bring in an extra 70 billion baht per week. Unfortunately the extra money accrued will only benefit the white whiskey, chicken fighting and 100 baht a pop massage joint industries

Hmm.....

[babuhavas]

Do they promote anti-scam and more safety policies? That would be a big enhancement to promote tourism on the long run.

not yet they love their national dish SCAM TAM

[steelepulse]

>>Younger travellers in developed countries are the target.

Last I checked, these weren't the high spending quality tourists the TAT is looking for.

Throw enough <deleted> against the wall and maybe one or two of the proposed ideas might work............Maybe.

[mca]

More than 150 billion people are expected to come to Thailand in 2010 for travel.

I've got an image of the Men In Black headquarters from the movie in my head.

" 500 baht for a 100 metre tuk tuk ride? Great God of Ursula Major! That's nearly 100000 Andromedon Zlortons! <deleted> that! next year we're off to Saturn."

[Tejas]

But a statement from your bank showing $20000 in your account 3 months before arrival

And zero in your account upon departure.

Same old TAT song and dance: "quality tourists, not quantity, blah, blah, blah..."

It appears that the people in charge of TAT do not have the ability to learn from their past and current mistakes.

Emphasizing a policy that has already proven (with clarity) to be economically and socially destructive will cause more damage to Thailand's tourist industry.

Are the same people who run the Immigration Department in charge of TAT?

The good news is that Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and even Lao will gain from this.

In fact, if you travel to those countries and ask the locals what they think about Thailand, the reply is simple: NUTS!

[bunnaag]

Quote:Thailand is like no other place in the world

where else get tourists beaten up by tuk-tuk drivers.But on the other hand high rollers are probably using helicopters.

[Credo]

I don't know why they don't tell the truth--they want to attract money. Unfortunately it comes attached to foreigners.

[sinplyred]

In Samui, the clientelle has changed dramatically, high end hotels are busy, but local busnesses are suffering badly as the hotels do thier upmost to keep the guests on hotel property.

[Crushdepth]

Maybe they should develop an "Elite Card" programme

[bearhunt]

Quote:Thailand is like no other place in the world

where else get tourists beaten up by tuk-tuk drivers.But on the other hand high rollers are probably using helicopters.

11 million foreigners in the country and one of them gets beaten up by a tuk tuk driver, not so bad! I wonder how many foreigners in the US are shot dead every day

[TonyBkk]

Their target market is Younger travelers in developed countries.

And their goal is to encourage these visitors to spend more money while staying in the country.

They will do this by marketing through online and new-media channels, which are cheaper than conventional advertisements.

So by spending less, and targeting a market who searches online they hope to make more???

This sounds like a business plan made by a first year BBA student, maybe they would be better off trying to get more money out of a segment that doesn't compare prices online. Who are they trying to fool?

If they re-positioned themselves as a country who doesn't try to rip off every foreigner, maybe they would attract more customers.

[ehs818]

It seems to me that many Thais, but particularly government officials, do not learn from their past mistakes, or the mistakes of others. Nor are they likely to do so as that could cause a loss of face. Seems to me the drop off in tourist numbers began in earnest about 2 or 3 years ago when the first campaign to attract 'quality tourists' by the TAT was implemented. Couple that with some political unrest, health scares, safety and violence against farang issues, and you've got yourself exactly the perfect storm--to DIScourage tourism. Also, while Amazing Thailand was once a very good value for a vacation destination, those days are long gone. Too many cheats, lies, and scams. PLUS the unexplainable growth in the strength of the Baht.

[dom samui]

"This year, the authority will not aim at luring higher numbers of visitors, but will try to encourage visitors to spend more money while staying in the country," said the Tourism Authority of Thailand's returning deputy governor for international marketing, Juthaporn Rerngronasa.

On an other hand Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa has expressed his confidence in a 10% growth of Thailand's domestic tourism in 2010.The minister also expressed his belief that the number of Thai and foreign tourists traveling to the Kingdom throughout 2010 would likely increase by 7-10% year-on-year or about 15.5 million people.

Are they supposed to work for the same country???

(Mods: When post is deleted i'd like to understand why (think nothing against TV rules was in it, and too afraid to send it again if it was my computer's mistake) ......So Pm could help not to make a mistake again.Thanks.Regards..

[yabaaaa]

Ive got a great idea why not start some sort of "elite card" type thing?? dohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Never heard of their mega superstar bloke either????

[h90]

I would like to apply as governor for international marketing at TAT.

I have no idea about tourism, but I am still confident I can do a better job than the current managment

[alex_aka_P]

Same old TAT song and dance: "quality tourists, not quantity, blah, blah, blah..."

Deja vue.......

It is all the same, year by year......and nothing EVER changes.

[mca]

But on the other hand high rollers are probably using helicopters.

See the headline.

"CEO of McDonalds beaten up by pilot"

- Jim Skinner, CEO of McDonalds, is in hospital with multiple fractures after being assaulted by the pilot of his Thai rented corporate jet over a disagreement regarding the fare.

From his hospital bed Mr Skinner said " We'd already agreed on a fee of $25000 USD per hour to fly me to Thailand but upon arrival the pilot demanded an extra $100000 dollars. When I refused to pay for what was only an 8000 mile journey the pilot left and returned with the co-pilot. They both began to assault me with a bottle of Moet Chandon and a sliver tray of Beluga caviar which they had taken from the plane's galley."

Police soon arrested the pilot, Mr Sombat Nomoralswhatsoever, who was found hiding on the roof of his brother in law's house in Saraburi after having fled the scene of the incident.

The co-pilot, Mr Wirat Iamacheatingbastard, is still on the run.

[thaikahuna]

They can't grasp the concept that those folks with BIG $$$ are either traveling here in high luxury with all arrangements pre-made or they are going someplace more conducive to their "position" in life....

[jbob]

im all for $20k in the bank for a free 12 month visa, makes Thailand more attractive and will get more money and people here

[yabaaaa]

The drop in tourists is solely down to 2 things economy worldwide and stricter visa rules. Renting condos I have many customers who would like to stay longer but find it increasingly difficult to stay easily.

Edited January 18, 2010 by yabaaaa

[pepi2005]

This goal could easily be achieved by charging all people who look like Western tourists

10 times the price of the local one in National parks etc.

Also, Thai scammers should be officially supported by the TOT,

since they force tourists to spend much more money than they planned

and thus ensure achieving the target of the campaign!

Furthermore, I think that we need more visa restrictions (why not force

Multiple-Entry-Visa stayers to leave the country every 2 weeks instead

of the current 'generous' 3 months - helps to finance the travel infrastructure

and takes money out of the purse of foreigners too!) and even more expensive

work permits.

Thailand - the make-money-fast-with-naive-tourists hub in SE-Asia.

Edited January 18, 2010 by pepi2005

[asiawatcher]

Sadly TAT has no conceptual grasp of the idiocies it is propagating. Hopefully some of their 'staff' will read these blogs and get it up the food chain a bit.

Starting at an airport that cost billions and handles on 5% more than the old bitch, makes little sense when the new arrivals are herded through a small funnel and doors are closed off and unable to be used. Total stupidity. Passenger arrival boards are in the path so the milling crowds block the exits for those poor tourists and business people who have to ride the gauntlet to exit 3. So why build 10 exit gates and block them off, have security people stopping the se of moving walkways etc?

Last minute shopping at King Power gets you arrested by an amazing co-incidence of something in the bag you did not buy or pick up and that lessens the possibility of passengers returning for sure.

But if you make it outside, then we get the police stopping vans and cars who have picked up people - of course only on the outter road as AOT has a monopoly on limos and parking on the inner road, but when you give in and order a 900 baht Camry - sorry only Mercedes left at Baht 2,100!. So why is there this constant harassment to passengers who have just done hours on flights. Why not check the vehicles where they drive in, not on exit with tired passengers? Why are other vehicles not allowed on the inner road? Love to see if that was actually on the architects notes in design or just some pencil neck public servant making his job more secure.

Then we have the taxis and tuk tuk's, some so old and dangerous they are smoking hulks on the road side or you have Fangio at the wheel from Isaarn who thinks a vehicle should travel at red line and be urged on by toe-tapping ensuring a severe case of whip lash by the time they get to the city - even if they don't crash first or the passengers throw up in the back seat.

So rich tourists they may be, they all get treated the same as the dread locked back packer. Good move TAT, let's encourage tourism to the rich and watch how they are treated on arrival. Instead of wasting more money - fix the issues here and word of mouth will get the message out there - look at the original MLMer. 12 apostles and the bearded big guy and look what happens - more than a billion people! Unfortunately for TAT it also works in reverse. Bad experience travels faster.

[KarenBravo]

........meanwhile, charter planes full of low spending package tourists keep rolling in.

[gorshar]

You've all missed the point...

Tourist arrivals have been decreasing steadily and Thailand can't (or won't) do anything constructive about it.

So instead announce a plan that you will concentrate not on numbers but on quality visitors and presto the problem of declining numbers ceases to be a problem but instead becomes reflective of your new strategy and if anyone cites the decreasing numbers you've already devised a face-saving way of getting out of it. And if someone challenges TAT as to whether they've succeeded with their new plan to attract quality visitors they will probably find it far easier to manipulate (or outright invent) statistics on tourist spending habits than the arrival figures.

Overall, it is a classic Thai approach to a problem they can't (or won't) fix. Everybody will save face and look good and nothing will improve except their image which is all that matters, anyway.