|
APEC public holidays bring 20 billion baht into circulation
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently released a
report saying that the government’s scheme to encourage domestic tourism
during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meetings 2003, coupled
with a rise in international visitor arrivals, generated tourism revenue of
over 20 billion baht.
The TAT report said that the APEC meetings, covered by
over 2,000 Thai and foreign journalists, served to boost Thailand’s
reputation as an international conference organizer, while also generating
global confidence in Thailand’s security arrangements.
At the same time, pictures of the Royal Barge Procession
laid on for the APEC leaders, broadcast on television screens across the
world, helped generate foreign interest and Thai pride in the kingdom’s
unique artistic and cultural heritage.
The growth in visitor arrivals from 1-20 October was
comparable to that for the same period last year, with 381,094 visitors
arriving at Don Muang Airport.
In addition, the TAT praised the government’s scheme to
encourage domestic tourism during the APEC season by declaring a week-long
public holidays for government and state enterprise workers, noting that a
huge number of Bangkok residents had traveled upcountry from 17-23 October.
The most popular provinces for domestic tourism during
the APEC season were Chonburi, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Petchaburi, Prachuab
Khiri Khan, Rayong, Chiang Mai and Phuket. (TNA)
THAI launches direct flights from Australia and Japan to Phuket
Thai Airways International (THAI) has just launched
direct flights from Australia and Japan to Phuket. The first historic Boeing
747 flight from Sydney and Melbourne arrived on the island after a flight
that began in the early hours of October 28 with 180 passengers and cabin
crews given a rapturous Thai-style welcome as they stepped off the plane.
The airline also resumed flights to Phuket from the
Japanese city of Osaka after several years in which the flights were
suspended during Thailand’s economic crisis. The flights from Australia
will operate every Monday, Thursday and Sunday, while those from Japan will
operate every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. (TNA)
Krabi flights ready for take-off
Bangkok Airways launched non-stop flights to Krabi from
Bangkok and Samui on October 26. The Bangkok-Krabi twice-daily service will
use a Boeing 717 configured with 125 seats. The Samui-Krabi service now
operates once a day using a new 70-seat ATR72-500.
Bangkok Airways vice-president marketing, Peter Wiesner,
said the flights had been introduced to meet demand from locals and
international travelers. “Krabi is a similar product to Samui and we
believe they attract a similar type of visitor. I think our experience of
the Samui market will stand us in good stead with these two new services,”
Wiesner said.
The round-trip fare Bangkok-Krabi will be 5,120 baht
(US$128), matching the price of Thai Airways International who also operates
the same route. (TTG Asia)
Tourist provinces conduct
road show Down Under
The three resort provinces of Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi
recently conducted a tourism road show in Australia which is hoped will lead
to an increase in low-season tourism, amid concerns that Thailand’s
competitors could snatch away tourists unless Thailand embarks on an urgent
publicity drive.
Phattanaphong Ekwanich, president of the Phuket Tourism
Business Association, said that the recent Andaman road show launched in the
Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne by the Tourism Council of
Thailand’s (TCT) 11th regional division (Phuket, Krabi and Phang-nga),
Thai Airways International and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had
been met with considerable success. The road shows not only featured coastal
tourist destinations, but also health tourism, dentistry, spas and shopping
products.
Phattanaphong said that Sydney and Melbourne had been
chosen for the road shows due to the importance of the Australian market,
with Australian visitors tending to favor coastal destinations and
possessing high purchasing power.
Conceding that events over the past two years, including
the Iraq war, the Bali bombing and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),
had led to a drop in Australian visitor arrivals, Phattanaphong expressed
confidence that the road shows would serve to bring about a boost in
Australian tourists. Nevertheless, he expressed concern that competitor
countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam were working hard to attract
Australian visitors too, and warned that unless Thailand conducted more
marketing offensives as a matter of urgency, it could see its market share
snatched away. (TNA)
70 million baht gives swing to
Bangkok’s International Jazz Festival
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is joining
hands with the private sector to pour 70 million baht into hosting
Thailand’s 2nd International Jazz Festival this December, as part of an
overall policy of transforming Thailand into a regional center for music.
Announcing the launch of the festival, Tourism and Sports
Minister Sontaya Khunpluem expressed confidence that the event would attract
30,000 Thai and foreign visitors each day, a total of 150,000 across the
five-day event.
The festival will be held on 12-14 December in Dusit
Palace, before moving to Bang Saen Beach in Chonburi Province in 19-20
December.
TAT spokesperson Phonganant Sanphanich said that the
festival would be split into two sections.
The first will showcase performances by leading Thai and
international jazz musicians, including performances of music composed by
His Majesty the King, a keen jazz musician.
International artists will include famous names from the
United States, the UK, Mexico and Japan, including T-Square, Larry Carton,
Joe Sample, Lee Ritenour, Spyro Gyra, Tuck & Patti, Angelita Li, Irvin
Hombres, Andy Wolf & The Riverboats, the Kenny Clainborne Band and
Shakatak.
The second part will consist of a jazz opera - Chao Phaen
Din (Owner of the Land) - the first jazz opera ever to be performed in
Thailand. (TNA)
|
|
|
|
|
