|
Pattaya, the beautiful…
Princess Ubolratana once again graces the
ITB in Berlin this year.
by George Hazard
I have been attending the ITB in Berlin since 1985: I followed the
Indonesian booth, as my professional activities in the hotel sector were
until last year based in Indonesia.
So this was the first time that I attended the most prestigious trade
fair in the world under my new umbrella: Thailand. A well appointed
stand fully manned by a team of executives from the Thai tourism
industry was very professionally adorned with all the magnetic touches
that make Thailand such a unique destination.
Although the ITB was somehow experiencing a low in terms of attendance,
Thailand was visited by numerous tour operators, wholesalers, travel
agents and media from around the world.
As a representative of the Hard Rock Hotel in Pattaya I enjoyed a great
ITB show, with plenty of interested parties from Germany, the United
Kingdom, Spain, the Middle East, Turkey, Korea, Hong Kong, Holland,
France and Japan.
However, some tourism professionals I met were not too enthusiastic to
feature Pattaya in their respective holiday program on Thailand,
mentioning the old cliché of Pattaya being the “Sin City” of South East
Asia.
To these people I dedicate this article with the hope to change their
views on what I perceive as Asia’s best tourist destination.
Pattaya has grown tremendously in the past 20 years and has reached the
standards of a truly world tourist destination: where else can you find
sandy beaches, tropical islands, sunshine, world-class branded hotels
with impeccable facilities and friendly service, shopping that would
make Singapore pale in shame, restaurants and bars from all the corners
of the globe, 26 golf courses within one hour distance, first-class
entertainment, exclusive activities and excursions, a smooth road
infrastructure, 2 hours away from Bangkok and all under one roof?
And where else can you buy a top-of-the-range condominium for under
US$30,000?
Gentlemen of the world tourism industry you don’t have to believe me,
come and pay Pattaya a visit, you will be positively surprised to
re-discover a real top destination that deserves your expert
endorsement.
The people of Pattaya welcome you to their home.
Many tourism professionals are still
skeptical about Pattaya, something
George Hazard, GM of the Hard Rock Hotel, Pattaya is working to change.
BCCT and Lighthouse illuminate Shenanigans Jomtien
Dr. Iain Corness
The British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) April networking
evening was held in conjunction with the Lighthouse Club, with the venue
being Shenanigans Jomtien.
The two groups mingled well, as many of them belonged to both
organizations, but the Lighthouse club members were sporting LHC
stickers, in case there were any doubts as to their affiliation.
 (L
to R) Wilaree Kleesuwan, lawyer with Sukhothai Associates Inter Law Co.,
Ltd.; and Okko Sprey, director of Macado Co. Ltd.
In an exclusive interview on Pattaya Mail TV, Kevin (the Craneman)
Fisher spoke on the objectives of the LHC, mentioning the group’s
backing of Tracey Cosgrove who has been setting up crèches for the
children of building industry workers, where both parents are working
because of financial considerations.
The Shenanigan’s publican Stewart Fraser mingled making sure everyone
was fed and watered, and the cottage pie was lovely, thank you!
Another attendee from the hospitality industry was Matthew Fryar, the
director of revenue management for the Sheraton Pattaya Resort, another
‘hail fellow well met’ style of Aussie, complete with an infectious
grin.
 (L
to R) Mark Thomson, managing director of Paradise City Property; and
Andrew McDowell, general manager of International Fabrication Services
Co., Ltd.
With the Automotive Focus Group also having a meeting (at the Bangkok
Hospital Pattaya’s function rooms), some of the regulars were missing,
but stalwarts such as AA Insurance Brokers were there, represented by
their principals Peter Smith and Malcolm Scorer, and the aforementioned
hospital’s Ann Wangvirayaphan and Pedrenelle Maniquiz, with the
ever-smiling Asian University’s Dr. Salam Hoshang. Barry Main (PVC
Windows Thailand) and Paul Wilkinson from AGS Four Winds International
Movers are standard features at these events, with the bubbly Kavita
Lamba always pushing a PILC charity event, and BCCT executive Graham
Macdonald (MBMG) always making sure everyone is happy.
 (L
to R) Michael Walls, sales director for G4S Security Services (Thailand)
Limited; and Gregory Pitt (Greg), managing director of Mackenzie Smith
Law.
RSM Thailand’s Mark Butters and Manpower’s Simon Matthews always seem to
make the trip down from Bangkok (a great place to leave right now),
along with Colin Hastings from The Big Chilli magazine and the executive
director of the BCCT, Greg Watkins. Interviewed on Pattaya Mail TV, Greg
discussed the implications of the world and local situations,
emphasizing the fact that it was going to be time to draw upon funds
reserved for the ‘bad times’ which had (hopefully) been accumulated
during the ‘good times’. However, he firmly believed that 2010 would be
a recovery year.
There were many sponsors for the LHC and BCCT evening including Splash
Pools, Paradise Properties, Shenanigans Jomtien and Dream Cones which
was represented by two lovely ladies, Jane (“me Tarzan”) and Wow (who
was) who were dispensing buckets of 100 percent fat-free Italian style
gelato. TV’s Paul Strachan declaring that the blueberry ice was
fantastic, whilst Dr Iain stuck with the chocolate!
Another well attended networking event, with most people in attendance
ready for the depressed times, without getting depressed themselves.
(L to R) Steven Kerr, regional development
manager for Phoenix Consultants Ltd.; Jim Snow; Stewart Fraser, publican
of Flannigan’s Enterprises Co., Ltd.
(L to R) Pattaravadee Wangviriyaphan,
marketing executive with the International Marketing Department at
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya; Dr. Salam A. Hoshang, head of the MIS
Department Faculty of Business, Asian University; Neil Maniquiz,
marketing executive in the International Marketing & Communication
Division of Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.
(L to R) Graham Macdonald, vice chairman of
the BCCT; Teantong Burrows; Jeffrey Burrows, senior partner with
Watermark Capital Management Ltd.
(L to R) Paul Strachan; Greg Watkins
executive director of the British Chamber
of Commerce Thailand; and Dr. Iain Corness perform for Pattaya Mail on
TV.
(L to R) Paul Strachan; Kevin Fisher, S.E.
Asia director for Cranes and Equipment Asia Co., Ltd.; and Dr. Iain
Corness discuss an important topic for PMTV.
(L to R) Simon Matthews, director of the
British Chamber of Commerce Thailand; Lan Grout, head of International
Relations for Harrow International School; Mark Butters, CPFA, United
Kingdom, director, RSM Thailand.
(L to R) John D Wood, sales director for
Ivory Estate Co., Ltd.; Malcolm Scorer, director of Aequus Fund
Promotion Ltd.; Tirachart Charuvastra, consultant with Aus-Thai
International Legal and Accounting Co., Ltd.; Jitra Wongjuan, director
of AA Insurance Brokers.
(L to R) Jessyago Go; Fob Tomlin; Alan
Cunningham;
and The Gimp from the Lighthouse Club.
(L to R) Barry Main, sales & marketing
director for The Nation Thai Visa; Claudia Hayes; Kavita Lamba,
treasurer of the Pattaya International Ladies Club; Jutarat (Boom) with
the Lighthouse Club.
Dr. Iain Corness (2nd left) interviews Wow
(left) and Jane (2nd right)
from Dream Cones as PMTV’s Paul Strachan (right) helps.
Thailand acts to help battered tourism industry
The Thai Cabinet on Tuesday gave a green light to petitions to assist the
country’s ailing tourism industry, which earlier proposed 17 measures for
government implementation to help the industry, severely hit by the worldwide
economic slump and the extended political turmoil in Thailand.
Significant measures for the tourism industry would be financial, tax and
tourism promotion oriented, according to deputy government spokesman Vachara
Kannikar.
Under the financial measures, government agencies have been asked to accelerate
their 2009 budget disbursement, before the end of the current fiscal year on
September 30, and to spend money as planned on earlier tourism development
program proposals.
The government is also willing to assume the risk for loans sought by tourism
operators from the Small- and Medium-Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand
(SME Bank) in future. The SME Bank has set aside Bt5 billion for loan for
tourism entrepreneurs but not many applied earlier due to stiff requirements
imposed by the bank. The government will review the details again.
Regarding tax measures, these will be relaxed further until the end of 2009,
following the impact of the temporary closures of Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi
Airports last December by yellow-shirt demonstrators.
The government will also disburse money from its budgets for Fiscal 2009 and
2010 to develop infrastructure in tourism destinations.
As a number of international assurance firms have opted not to issue life
insurance coverage for foreign tourists visiting Thailand due to political
unrest, the Cabinet discussed possible assignment of the Office of the Insurance
Commission or domestic commercial insurance firms to accept insurance for
foreign tourists instead.
However, details of the regulations will be studied later, the spokesman said.
Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the
country’s tourism business now faces a “severe crisis.” This year the number of
tourists visiting Thailand is expected to fall to 10.9 million, from last year’s
14.1 million, down 22.7 percent.
Earnings from tourism in 2009 are forecast to amount to Bt350 billion, down
35.19 percent from 2008, said Kongkrit. The current global economic slump plus
political unrest in Thailand will affect foreign tourist confidence for some 4-6
months.
Because of the negative factors, about 10 percent of the total 2.57 million
employees in the tourism industry and hospitality industry are expected to be
laid off this year, he added. (TNA)
Longhaul sees red
Ollie Quiniquini, TTG Asia
Bangkok may no longer be under siege after protestors loyal to former
prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, abandoned their three-week blockade of
Government House but the violence in the Thai capital’s streets over the last
few weeks has left longhaul incentive houses concerned over the safety of their
clients bound for the kingdom.
Thailand is among the top, if not the top, incentive destination in Asia for
many European markets, and European buyers polled by the Daily had varied
reactions to the country’s political crisis.
Germany’s TMG CEO, Stefan Luzar, who has a pharmaceutical group comprising 28 to
47 persons scheduled to visit Thailand for an incentive this November, is taking
a wait-and-see attitude towards the Thai political crisis.
Italy’s Be Love the Line’s Ms Petra Schmeing was forgiving of the situation,
saying that political unrest can happen anywhere in the world, while Germany’s
BK Consulting International managing director, Ms Bozena Kraus, also intended to
push through with a group scheduled to visit Thailand and Indochina next year.
Her bookings for Thailand remain intact and she has not received any
cancellations yet.
Thailand to re-launch tourism
promotion campaigns in China
A Thai tourism delegation is in China this week to re-launch tourism campaigns
after many Chinese who planned fashionable holiday weddings in Thailand’s
resorts cancelled their ceremonies due to the recent violence, according to
Weerasak Kowsurat, board chairman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Weerasak said many Chinese sweethearts who planned a mass wedding celebration at
a garden resort near Pattaya had cancelled their plans and their journeys to
Thailand following anti-government demonstrations in Pattaya and violence in
Bangkok earlier this month.
He said the negative impact would continue for a long time and it would
discourage tourists from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong from visiting
Thailand as well.
The Thai delegation, to be led by Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office
Virachai Virameteekul, left for China on Sunday, said Weerasak, adding that he
had suggested Thai tourism operators target penetration of Indonesian, Indian,
Israeli and Iranian markets because the consuming public retains high purchasing
power and are not much concerned about Thailand’s politics.
The Thai-Chinese Tour Operators Association said it is normal now for thousands
of Chinese tourists to cancel their trips to Thailand on a daily basis, but the
association affirmed that it expected that more Chinese tourists would visit
Thailand after a state of emergency decree imposed in Bangkok and five
neighboring provinces is lifted. (TNA)
TAT lowers tourism target
Watchiranont Thongtep, TTG Asia
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) intends to revise this year’s
tourism target in the aftermath of last month’s political riots.
TAT chairman, Weerasak Kowsurat, said the impact of the closure of Suvarnabhumi
Airport late last year, coupled with last month’s political chaos in Bangkok,
would be the reason to lower the current target of 14 million tourist arrivals
and revenue of 530 billion baht this year.
At press time, the revised target was not yet disclosed.
Last week, Tourism Council of Thailand forecast that this year would have scaled
back tourist numbers to about 10.86 million and foreign tourism revenue to 350
billion baht.
Weerasak added key source markets such as China, South Korea and Japan were
unlikely to rebound within the next couple of months, even during the coming
Golden Week from May 1, due to their declining confidence in the country’s
security and safety.
However, TAT is able to confirm the arrangement of international road shows in
South Korea, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, South Africa, China, the US and Canada
to be testimonial events for restoring trade partners’ confidence.
Meanwhile, Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Apichart Sankary, said
the trade was seeking additional financial subsidies on the road shows and
international trade shows arranged by TAT for the rest of this year.
He also said the special air fare support from Thai Airways International was
highly required.
Massic Travel wins
Rising Star 2008 award
Vikrom Malhotra (left) of Massic Travel Pattaya receives the Rising Star
2008 award from Florian Preuss, general manager of Etihad Airways for Thailand
and the Mekong region, at the Outstanding Passenger Sales Productivity award
ceremony held recently at Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.
|
