TravTalk India Online Magazine
Thailand has welcomed close to 900,000 Indian travellers in the first seven months this year and aims to cross the 1.6 million target by the year-end. The country now focuses on diverse tourism segments, including weddings, and families.
Janice Alyosius
Indian tourist arrivals in Thailand reached nearly 2 million before the pandemic struck. This year, in the first seven months, the country has welcomed close to 900,000 Indian visitors and expect to touch the 1 million mark by the month-end. “Our goal for this year is to reach approximately 1.5 to 1.6 million, representing about 80 per cent of the 2019 numbers,” says Siriges–A–Nong Trirattanasongpol, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) New Delhi.
Thailand has always been a synonymous with captivating landscapes, rich culture, and welcoming hospitality. One of the key segments, TAT authorities are eyeing is weddings. Trirattanasongpol says that weddings in Thailand are not only a high-value affair, but also offers opportunities for sustainability. “Weddings are of very high value for us, when they come to Thailand, they come in big groups and spend a lot. In 2024, we plan to promote sustainability in weddings, aligning with the growing global trend towards sustainable celebrations. In the past, we were promoting weddings by offering incentive schemes exclusively to wedding planners. However, in the coming year, we are taking our promotional efforts a step further. Not only will we continue to provide incentives to wedding planners, but also introduce a new scheme for the wedding couples. We plan to provide special gifts to welcome wedding couples,” she reveals.
Talking about the visa process, she says, “We may not be directly involved in visa process, but we plan to offer incentives to large groups. For instance, for a group of 100 visiting people, we will implement a promotional scheme tailored to their needs.” Sharing further plans, Trirattanasongpol says, “We would also like to focus on families and FITs. Families travel in groups, typically comprising 4-5 families. The group size bigger than FITs, but FITs are also one of our main segments. We plan to collaborate with our partners, such as OTAs, to promote them.”
She shared that TAT also plans to woo active senior citizens and women travellers in 2024. “Nowadays, senior citizens often form their own group of 10-15 members and travel together. Indians in their 60s are very active, are full of life and enjoy to the fullest just like the young generation. So, they can be our main target next year.”
Highlighting a shift in the travel trends, she says, “In the past, travel to Thailand was male dominant, but nowadays Indian women are exploring Thailand more frequently. We have observed groups of female travellers coming to Thailand to have a great time with their other female friends. I think this is a new trend from India to Thailand.”
Trirattanasongpol also highlighted the 5Fs—Food, Fight (Muay Thai), Festival, Film, and Fashion — that are Thailand’s unique offerings and focus area. “Food – it is not limited to Thai cuisine alone. When we talk about food, we are referring to a diverse range of international culinary delights that cater to all tastes and preferences. Fight – Muay Thai is a martial art very important for us. Festival – This is another significant aspect, where Thailand find cultural connections between the two countries. Holi in India is similar to Songkran festival of Thailand and Loi Krathong is similar to Diwali,” she stated.
On the travel connectivity issue, Trirattanasongpol says, “We want more airlines to popular destinations like Phuket, with potential extensions to other cities like Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai has become new popular destination for Indian tourists, especially the senior citizens or the FIT, as they have spas, many wellness centres and also, they can enjoy a night life there with shopping.”
