Phasakorn Channgam
Pattaya business leaders are eyeing Iran, Israel and
Turkey as the next target markets for Pattaya tourism.
Jamroon
Vitsavachaipan, President of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association.
Jamroon Vitsavachaipan, president of the Pattaya Business
& Tourism Association, unveiled the group’s 2011 marketing plan Jan. 3. It
calls for reinforcing Pattaya’s traditional markets in Europe, but focusing
most on the India, South Korea, Middle East and developing countries.
He noted that Thailand tourism improved in the second
half of 2010 and hopes that the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s sole trade
show appearance in the West during 2011 - at ITB Germany - will entice
tourists scared away from the kingdom by the deadly Bangkok riots to return.
But Pattaya - and Thailand as a whole - continues to
prioritize developing markets over traditional tourist strongholds. The rest
of the year’s marketing calendar is aimed at India (in February) and South
Korea (in March) and the Middle East.
Next month, the PBTA will host a meeting to discuss
attracting more tourists from Iran, Turkey and Israel. Despite the fact
Jewish and Muslim tourists don’t mix well, Jamroon said businesses are
attracted by their spending power.
The association also wants to participate in the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ travel fair in Cambodia, which will
help it target tourists from the TAT’s new pet market, Indonesia, as well as
Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.
It also plans to work on domestic tourism, with various
road shows this spring.
The PBTA is hoping to receive monetary support for its
marketing plans from Pattaya and Chonburi, he said.
