Promoting tourism in lesser-known regions
The Thai government, headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, is developing a new tourism promotion strategy aimed at a more even distribution of tourist flows throughout the country.
Currently, the lion's share of foreign tourists is concentrated in a few of the most famous resort areas, such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok. This leads to overloaded infrastructure during the peak season.
At the same time, many interesting regions of Thailand remain in the shadows. We are talking about such provinces as Nongbua Lamphu, Kanchanaburi, Tak, Phetchabun, Uttaradit, Chaiyaphum, Mahasarakham, Royet, Surin.
To remedy the situation, the country's tourism authority has been tasked to develop a set of measures to promote these regions to travelers.
In particular, it is planned to make an inventory of tourist attractions, both already known and potentially interesting. We are talking about attractions, natural and historical-cultural sites, opportunities for ecotourism.
Based on this, the most promising new points of attraction for tourists in each of the regions will be identified, and tourist routes and programs will be developed.
It is also planned to organize thematic festivals, folk festivals and cultural events to attract tourists. Local authorities will receive recommendations on the development of tourist infrastructure.
Special attention will be paid to the promotion of new destinations through marketing campaigns in Thailand and in target foreign markets.
In this way, the Thai authorities expect to make more rational use of the tourism potential of different regions of the country and reduce the burden on the most popular resorts.
Incentivizing increased tourism spending
Along with geographical diversification of tourist flows, the Thai authorities aim to increase the average expenditures of foreign visitors while traveling in the country.
Currently, the average check per tourist per visit is around 43,000 baht (about $1,200). This figure is considered insufficient given Thailand's high potential as a tourist destination.
To increase spending, there are plans to expand the range of tourism products and services. In particular, efforts will be made to develop shopping, gastronomic tourism, and entertainment activities.
The possibility of organizing cruise shipping between popular tourist centers, development of exhibition activities, conference services is also being considered.
Special attention will be paid to improving the quality of service and creating comfortable conditions for tourists. This will help justify higher prices for services.
In addition, to increase the average check of tourists will stimulate the extension of their stay in Thailand. The longer tourists stay in the country, the more money they spend on entertainment, shopping and other services.
The implementation of these initiatives is expected to boost Thailand's international tourism revenue per person.
Attracting tourists on a year-round basis
The next important area of focus is to smooth out the seasonality of tourist flows. Currently, the main influx of international visitors to Thailand occurs during the winter months, and there is a significant decline in the off-season.
To change the situation, the government is developing measures to stimulate inbound tourism all year round. In particular, it is considering special discounts on accommodation and flights during the off-season.
It is also planned to develop a calendar of major festivals, holidays and other colorful events to be held at different times of the year throughout the country. This will make it possible to provide tourists with a rich program at any time.
Another important direction is to expand the geography of marketing Thai tourism products in new markets. We are talking about the countries of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe with a more comfortable climate in the summer months. This will compensate for the decline in tourist traffic from Europe and North America in the hot season.
Thus, Thailand plans to effectively utilize the tourism potential throughout the year, smooth out seasonal fluctuations in flows and ensure stable utilization of infrastructure.
Author of the article: Ekaterina Antonova
