Thailand moves to restore tourism confidence

Eager to move on from civil unrest and political instability of recent months, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is emphasising that the country is open for tourism and ready to offer the traditional hospitality that has made it one of the world’s favourite visitor destinations.

The message was proclaimed over the weekend as over 900 travel agents, media, bloggers and celebrities converged on Bangkok after extensive touring of the country. Called ‘Thailand’s Best Friends Forever Mega Fam Trip (Thailand’s BFF), the event conveyed a powerful message that the Thai tourism industry is back to normal.

A grand reception and street parade ushered in a promotional round of festivities, the Thailand Happiness Street Festival. Thailand sent out friendly invitations to travellers globally through the symbolic release of thousands of smiley-faced balloons into the skies above Bangkok.

Tourism to Thailand has hit a downturn after the country was placed under martial law following the military coup d’état on 22nd May 2014 with visitors concerned that their travel insurance coverage might be affected by the coup.

However, as participants in Thailand’s BFF noted in their travels around the country, there is little or no evidence of an army presence and Bangkok and other areas favoured by visitors are back to normal.

Insurance issues have been addressed by Thailand’s new online insurance coverage scheme, known as the Thailand Travel Shield, an initiative of TAT that is backed by four Thailand insurers.

Ensuring Thailand remained a safe place for tourists has been identified as a priority by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Thailand’s BFF, which was accompanied by a mass release of balloons and bands putting on street concerts, is also helping bring the smiles back to the faces of the Thai people after several months of uncertainty. Tourism is a major employer in Thailand and the number of Thais employed in all facets of the tourist industry has fallen in recent months because of a lull in tourist arrivals and bookings.

Commenting on the Thailand’s BFF initiative, TAT Governor Thawatchai Arunyik explained “this fam-trip will be a critical component of our recovery programme, especially for the second half of this year, when we have to double our efforts to bring visitors back.

"At our just concluded Marketing Action Plan meetings, we spent a lot of time analysing key trends and then identifying the appropriate fam-trip participants from priority markets which could generate the fastest turnarounds.”

For more information visit the Tourism Authority of Thailand website at www.tourismthailand.org

21st May 2014 - TOURISM INDUSTRY UNCERTAINTY AS THAI ARMY DECLARES MARTIAL LAW