Tat Targets 12m Tourists For Next Year

[george]

TAT targets 12m tourists for next year

Having recast Thailand's image as the 'Heart of Asia', the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is aiming for 12 million tourist arrivals next year, from which it hopes to earn Bt384 billion in foreign exchange.

However, TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan has painted a rather volatile picture for the tourism industry in 2004.

The lingering effects of the turmoil in the Middle East, the threat from global terrorism and the spectre of Sars are all expected to put pressure on the sector.

She said that next year the TAT would go for the hard sell in its marketing campaign, with 18 major trade shows planned. Markets targeted include Spain, Italy, Russia, the US, Northern Europe, the Middle East, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan.

"Incorporating our marketing campaign with Indochina, we are trying to project ourselves as a cultural centre in Southeast Asia and Asia," she said.

So far this year, in spite of the effects of the Sars epidemic and the violence in the Middle East, Thailand's tourism industry has managed to stay afloat by refocusing on attracting visitors from Asia and encouraging Thais to holiday within the country. This has resulted in tourist arrivals averaging one million a month. The TAT forecast this year's tourist arrivals would total 9.9 million, bringing some Bt297 billion in foreign exchange into the country.

--Agencies

[eric1000]

TAT targets 12m tourists for next year

thats all very well but shortage of available seats is a big problem .

i reckon TAT could add millions if there were more plane seats available.

from europe that is .

its diabolical to get a seat these days , i have had to cut my annual trips due to lack of seats .

[Miksu]

TAT targets 12m tourists for next year

thats all very well but shortage of available seats is a big problem .

i reckon TAT could add millions if there were more plane seats available.

from europe that is .

its diabolical to get a seat these days , i have had to cut my annual trips due to lack of seats .

Actually I think they'll never get to that 12m if they indeed are gonna make the bars close at 1am (as the latest news claim)! Most of the tourists (including me) will want to party late into night when in holiday. However, due to these new regulations it's getting more and more difficult to do that in Thailand anymore...

[george]

Follow up:

Tourist numbers tipped to rise

PHUKET: New airlines, new air routes and more charter flights should help to increase the number of tourists coming to Phuket next year by about 10%, Lt Cdr Boonchart Prompoon, Director of the Airports Authority of Thailand, Phuket, said on Wednesday.

He was speaking at the launch of an “All Smiles All the Time” campaign at Phuket International Airport, a promotion aimed at persuading tourists to return because of their friendly experience on the island and throughout Thailand generally.

“The airport is the place where tourists arrive so we have to improve our services to impress them,” Lt Cdr Boonchart said. “Our staff will welcome passengers when they arrive at the airport, and it will be the beginning of this scheme.”

He said the present number of 3.6 million passengers was likely to increase by at least 300,000 next year.

“It’s possible to reach that number because there will be new airlines, including Orient Thai Airlines and AirAsia,” he added. There had also been about 30 chartered flights already this month, he said, as well as new routes being flown to Kuala Lumpur and Sweden.

--Phuket Gazette 2003-12-26

[Axel]

If I follow the thinking of the powers that be, 12 million high class toruist, perhas 10 million of them buy the elite card. Tried to punch this into my computer but got an overflow-error message

Welcome at the airport(s) is great. Good thinking of the Lt Cmdr., perhaps with military brass band and overflights by fighter planes from the Sattahip based carrier. Joking only in this time of year.

A few years back I arrived 9:00 am, Jan 1st, from Penang at Don Muang. Start of the AMAZING THAILAND - thing. What a great experience, first out of the plane got a welcome by Thai dancers, dragon dance, TV. First my daughter was interviewed, how long she intends to stay, 'Oh, I leave tonight' "Cut". My son, 'I live here' CUT.

But we got 4 coupons for free lunch buffets in a hotel somewhere behind Pat Pong Highly recommendable for first time tourists, CUT

[eric1000]

TAT targets 12m tourists for next year

thats all very well but shortage of available seats is a big problem .

i reckon TAT could add millions if there were more plane seats available.

from europe that is .

its diabolical to get a seat these days , i have had to cut my annual trips due to lack of seats .

Actually I think they'll never get to that 12m if they indeed are gonna make the bars close at 1am (as the latest news claim)! Most of the tourists (including me) will want to party late into night when in holiday. However, due to these new regulations it's getting more and more difficult to do that in Thailand anymore...

you can go to Ibiza ,Rhodes , Cyprus ,spanish mainland resorts and party all night long till sunrise . and save on the airfare as well.

[Miksu]

you can go to Ibiza ,Rhodes , Cyprus ,spanish mainland resorts and party all night long till sunrise . and save on the airfare as well.

Not between November and April! It's quite tooooo cold (in average only like 10-15C at daytime but could be colder)!

And it's in wintertime that I personally need to do my trips. It's quite too dark and cold for me to stay home here in Finland the whole winter. Must get somewhere where the sun shines all the time and it's warm. (And I think lots of Europeans in general feel this way too, it's not too warm & nice anywhere in Europe during the winter - especially in continental Europe. That's why many head to S-E Asia or S-America.)

Also once I was in Miami around Christmas time and even in there it was d*mn cold for many days. So to be sure of the warmth you need to go to these far south locations such as Thailand.

[markt]

So to be sure of the warmth you need to go to these far south locations such as Thailand.

Plus there's the warmth of the thai girls, that is a huge attraction too.

[Miksu]

So to be sure of the warmth you need to go to these far south locations such as Thailand.

Plus there's the warmth of the thai girls, that is a huge attraction too.

markt,

you're so right!

BTW. what's this talk about these "entertainment zones"? In nanaplaza.com somebody wrote about this bar-closing issue that although bars would be closed at 1am there still would be entertainment zones where bars could actually be open until 5am? Is this true? If it is then this would of course change the whole thing to better direction - given, of course, that there are enough of these entertainment zones.