|
Government hopes “SME Power” loans will revitalize tourism sector
Pramote Channgam
Small tourism-driven businesses squeezed by worldwide recession
and Thailand’s own political turmoil can borrow up to 5 million baht
under a new government loan program run by the Small and Medium
Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand.
 Komchak
Pongkhan (left), director of the SME Bank Pattaya Branch, and Sommit
Chansuksan, director of the Chonburi Branch announce the bank’s tourism
loan project.
The 5 billion baht “SME Power” loan fund, approved by the Cabinet in
late April, will provide funding of 50,000 baht to 5 million baht to
help tourism-related companies maintain liquidity and grow revenues.
SME Bank Pattaya Director Komchak Pongkhan and Chonburi Branch Director
Sommit Chansuksan briefed area entrepreneurs on the new program at a May
22 seminar at the Eastern Grand Palace Hotel. Komchak said that the bank
will divide its 5 billion baht fund on a case by case basis, with loans
to be used to keeping business afloat or rebuilding business lost to
Thailand’s marked decline in tourist numbers.
More information on the loans, including conditions and how to apply,
can be had by contacting the SME Bank Pattaya branch at 038-416-805-7 or
the Chonburi branch at 038-784-171 before July 31. The information is
also online at www.smebank.co.th
Skål Asia - Regional aspirations for the future
Andrew Wood
The 38th Skål Asia Congress was successfully held in Incheon,
Korea from May 21-24, 2009 with over 100 international delegates, 150
local members and VIPs, including Skål International President Hulya
Aslantas. Under the theme of “Skål Present and Future”, various events
including Korean Nanta (Cooking) performance and traditional costume
fashion shows showcased the beauty and dynamic aspects of Korea.
 Photo
of Gerry Perez, President for Skål Asia
Main sponsors were the Incheon Metropolitan City Government; Incheon
Tourism Organization; Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO), Seoul Tourism
Organization; Korean Air and Visit Korea Commission. It is significant
that the Skål Congress was held in Korea this year as Skål Intl Seoul
marked their 40th anniversary. Korea previously hosted the Congress in
1977 and 1987.
At the Skål General Assembly on May 23, Gerald S.A. Perez was newly
elected as president of the Skål Asia Area Committee for a term of two
years (2009 - 2011), along with a new board of officers:
Vice President Southeast Asia, Andrew Wood, Thailand
Vice President East Asia Hiro Kobayashi, Japan
Vice President West Asia, Praveen Chugh, India
Director of Membership Development, Robert Lee, Thailand
Director of Finance, Malcolm Scott, Indonesia
Director of Public Relations, Robert Sohn, Korea
Director of Young Skål & Scholarship, Dr Andrew Coggins, Hong Kong
International Councilor, Graham Blakely, Macau
Executive Secretary, Ivo Nekpavil, Malaysia
Auditors K. S. Lee, Korea and Christine Leclezio, Mauritius
The Congress headquarters hotel was the Hyatt Regency Incheon.
“Tonight is a time for celebration, and a time for reflection. It is a
time to celebrate the many good things for which to be thankful. And a
time to celebrate friendships, new and old, and doing business among
friends. But it is also a time to pause and take stock of where we are
today with Skål and where we can take it into the future,” said Perez in
his inaugural speech.
“As an international association that reaches into all branches of the
travel and tourism industry, as an association comprised of industry
managers and executives who penetrate local, national and international
levels of leadership, can we afford leaving to chance what will affect
our industry, or should we harness the power within us to shape - indeed
impact for the good - an industry that can promote peace through
friendship, an industry that can alleviate poverty through responsible
stewardship of our resources. An industry that is over 10% of global GDP
and nearly 900 million travelers around the globe,” he added.
Skål Asia’s Board of Officers for 2009-2011
(L to R) Earl Wieman, Immediate Past President; Robert Lee; Ivo
Nekpavil; Robert Sohn; Malcolm Scott; Gerry Perez; Graham Blakely;
Andrew Coggins; Hiro Kobayashi; Andrew Wood.
Dusit International targets UK & European MICE market
Dusit International recently affirmed its commitment to attract the UK and
European MICE market by joining the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau
(TCEB) at IMEX tradeshow, held in Frankfurt from May 26 - 28, to promote
Thailand as the best meeting destination in Asia.
“The meetings, conventions and incentives market is a priority market for Dusit
International and we know companies need even more incentives to keep their
training and meeting schedules on track in 2009. Not only will our MICE
marketing efforts focus on the short haul intra-regional markets, but also on
the long haul MICE market, especially from UK and European countries such as
Germany, Spain, and Scandinavia.
“In a global financial market downturn, it is the companies that proactively
train, implement team building events and meet to strategize, that will be best
prepared for the return to stronger revenues and growth cycles. We believe our
attendance in IMEX will help stimulate MICE business to our properties in
Thailand, the Middle East, and Philippines,” said Simon Burgess, global director
of sales, Dusit International.
In support of Dusit’s MICE strategy, the company has launched the Meeting
Planner Gift Collection 2009 with additional benefits for the company and for
the Meeting Planner. The package is promoted through a vast range of marketing
and e-marketing campaigns as well as international tradeshows such as AIME in
Melbourne, IMEX in Frankfurt, EIBTM in Barcelona, and others throughout the
year.
More information on Dusit’s Meeting Planner Gift Collection can be found at
www.dusit.com/specialoffers
“In order to support the government’s policy to enhance Thailand’s image and
improve investor confidence, TCEB led a team of MICE operators to IMEX 2009 in
Germany. This global event attracted over 3,500 exhibitors from more than 150
countries around the world. This year TCEB has made extensive use of e-marketing
to help MICE operators, and joined the Thai pavilion at IMEX to take advantage
of this excellent opportunity to promote Thailand’s potential and readiness as a
top regional MICE destination, said Malinee Kitapanich, meetings and incentives
director of TCEB.
“In regards to overall picture of Thailand’s MICE market for 2009, we estimate
that MICE revenues for the year will reach THB 41 billion, with a total of
500,000 MICE visitors,” added Ms. Kitapanich.
Travel agents push for Pattaya cleanup to lure Middle-Eastern, Indian tourists
(L to R) Rewat Pollook-In, deputy chief of the
Chonburi Administrative Organization, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, and Niti
Kongkrut, director of the TAT Pattaya Office announces results from recent
tourism trade shows in the United Arab Emirates and India.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
With tourist numbers at near-historic lows, Pattaya City officials are
being urged to clean up the beach and crack down on crime in order to lure
visitors from the Middle East and other burgeoning markets.
Recently returned from tourism trade shows in the United Arab Emirates and
India, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said Thai travel companies found strong interest
among travel buyers in both regions.
Thai companies each met about 60 travel agents a day during the three-day
Arabian Travel Mart and got a warm welcome in Mumbai in early May. Topping the
list of questions were inquires about package coworkers, families and
honeymooners, as well as package tours that included Pattaya and other Thai
destinations. Some agents noted that, unlike other trade shows, those at the
Dubai fair didn’t haggle much on price.
Package tours were especially important, as some foreign tour agents said many
Pattaya hotels don’t offer packages, which appeal more than individual bookings
to those from the Middle East.
Most of the tour contracts are expected to be completed within two months, but
foreign and Thai agents agreed that Pattaya needs to improve its image by
sprucing up its main selling point - the beachfront - and cleaning up crime
better.
According to Tourism Authority of Thailand figures, 250,000 Middle Eastern
tourists arrived in Thailand in 2008, up 8.8 percent from the year before.
|
