Inbound Thai tourism is booming. What is not commonly known is that so is Thai outbound travel. Thanks to a rising middle class, strong spending power and intense marketing by airlines, hotel groups, credit card companies, the number of Thai outbound travellers is expected to cross 10 million this year.
Ease of accessibility will become a major determinant of future destination choice. Japan, which eliminated visas for Thais in 2013, has become the fastest growing destination for Thai travellers. Korea and Taiwan have followed the Japanese lead, and Russia is next.
All are stepping up marketing and promotional campaigns to narrow the significant gaps between the number of their tourists visiting Thailand and the number of Thais visiting their countries.
Although most Thais know that they can get visa-free access to their neighbours in the ASEAN countries as well as the Northeast Asian countries and destinations, they still do not realise that they can get relatively easy access to several countries in both Latin America and Africa, the report says.
The report urges these countries on both distant continents to put more focus on their marketing profiles. It is rife with trends, ideas, contacts and opportunities on how to do so.
The report also blasts the visa application processes for Europe, the UK, North America, Australia and New Zealand as being “insulting, offensive and expensive.”
The panel will begin with a presentation of the first comprehensive report on the Thai Outbound Travel Industry by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire.
It will cover a summary of trends that are shaping outbound travel, including social, demographic, technological drivers, along with some core recommendations that could give the market some added impetus.
That will be followed by a panel discussion featuring:
- Mr. Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn, President, Thai Travel Agents Association (or his representative)
- Mr Korakot Chatasingha, Director, Thailand Region,Thai Airways International.
- Her Excellency Mrs Kshenuka Seneviratne, Ambassador to Thailand, Sri Lanka
- Mr. Brian Sinclair-Thompson, Territory Director, Discover the World (Thailand) Co. Ltd and long-time former Manager Thailand of Swissair.
Mr Muqbil will also moderate the session
7pm, Monday June 11, 2018
Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand
Penthouse, Maneeya Center Building
518/5 Ploenchit Road (connected to the BTS Skytrain Chitlom station)
Patumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02-652-0580
About the author
Boris Sullivan is a business news editor based in Hong Kong. He has over 15 years of experience in covering the latest trends and developments in the Asian markets, as well as the global economy.
