START-UP

Start-up tourism catches on

Phatarawadee Phataranawik
The Nation 

 

 

Entrepreneurs are guiding foreigners to the best of Thai culture

 

Thai enthusiasm for entrepreneurial start-ups has seized on tourism, the country's biggest income-earner, with a pair of businesses offering that can put tourists in residence with a Lahu hilltribe in Chiang Rai, go hunting for the ghost of Mae Nak and try all sorts of other interesting adventures.

TakeMeTour.com and LocalAlike.com are investing in what makes Thailand truly exotic and charming for both domestic and foreign travellers.

"The Thai way of life is often really unique," says TakeMeTour co-founder Noppon Anukunwithaya. "Living with people in interesting situations, eating with them and sharing in their pastimes, you get to know their culture deeply. 

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Start-up-tourism-catches-on-30297082.html

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-10-07

manufacturing and agriculture must have taken a dive to be taken over by tourism.

First bit of honest innovation I have seen reported for a while. Most of what I read in the news is dishonest innovation (new scams, old scams revived).

Good luck to them with this idea, I hope it works. 

Homestay is very popular and successful in Vietnam particularly in the Hmong tribal areas.

Ah, the "come see the silly natives" tours. Yes, those are quite interesting, they might be on to something there. Until the first defamation lawsuit due to a facebook post, that is.

Next stop "Fantasy Island"

5 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

manufacturing and agriculture must have taken a dive to be taken over by tourism.

 

Last estimate I saw was that tourism, which normally is about 8% - 12% of GDP, is now 20% or more of total GDP.  Not necessarily because tourism is growing but because everything else is contracting.  

 

Yes, the rest of Thailand's economy is in the dumps in a big, big way.  

 

If tourism were to take a major hit right now the economy likely goes into a free fall.  Almost all economic growth in Thailand comes from the tourism sector at the moment.  Take out the gains in tourism and Thailand would be at close to 0% economic growth.