TWIN ENGINE
Promotions meant to boost domestic travel
The TAT plans to roll out two promotional campaigns next month with the aim of generating B400m in tourism income.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to roll out next month two campaigns — Visit Thailand with 100 Baht and Shocking Price Weekday Travel — hoping to generate 400 million baht in tourism income over the remaining months of this year.
Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, the TAT’s executive director of product promotion, said Shocking Price Weekday Travel is set to encourage Thais, especially upper- and middle-class tourists, to take more trips on weekdays and enjoy discounts of up to 80% on highend tourism products.
The nine categories of tourism products offered during this campaign include five-star hotels available Monday to Thursday, airlines, spas and treatment services, yachting, community-based activities, Michelin-starred restaurants, recreation, department stores and other special privileges from online travel agents.
Ms Thapanee said tourism operators and members of tourism associations can register with the TAT to take part in the scheme.
The TAT anticipates at least 4,000 operators joining the campaign.
Thais who want to participate must be 18 or older and can register and select products to receive a promotional code via the TAT’s website from Nov 1, with the payment within five days.
Another campaign, Visit Thailand with 100 Baht, will offer 40,000 tourism packages worth 100 baht, offering 10,000 products per day on Nov 11, Nov 12, Dec 11 and Dec 12 this year.
Registrants must be 18 or older and have e-banking and a mobile phone number to join the campaign via the TAT’s website.
Tourists can shop for only one tourism product outside their hometown throughout the campaign.
Registration will run from 6am until midnight or when the 10,000 products for that day run out, said Noppadon Pakprot, the TAT’s deputy governor for domestic marketing.
This campaign offers air and bus tickets, hotels, food and drinks, tour packages and tourism attractions.
Mr Noppadon said operators on the list include Sri Panwa Phuket, Baba Beach Club Hua Hin, Discover Catamaran and Thann Wellness Destination.
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said a budget of 116 million baht will be used for these two additional measures after the government launched the 1,000-baht cash handout (Taste-Shop-Spend) scheme and a 15% cash rebate for spending on tourism products.
He expects the two new campaigns to add about 400 million baht in tourism income and help increase the number of local tourists travelling domestically by 10-20% during November and December.
The new campaigns, a continuation of Taste-Shop-Spend, are expected to raise domestic tourism income to 1.12 trillion baht this year, Mr Yuthasak said.
In the first eight months of 2019, domestic tourism rose by 1.3% yearon-year to 104 million trips.
The TAT is confident of achieving 180 million trips this year, up from 166 million in 2018.