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Event Round Up
In search of champions
Tourism Authority of Thailand champions Indian travel agents
in a two-day pilot programme held for the first time in Asia in Goa this May.
By Hazel Jain
 Many
a soothsayers predict a change in the travel climate with the winds blowing
towards high-end luxury travel. This is already happening and what bigger evidence
of this than the master of mass tourism - Tourism Authority of Thailand - aiming
for an audience of high-end travellers. Straddling between two superpowers -
India and China -Thailand is staring at a huge market.
As part of Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) initiative to promote the country
as an up-market value-for-money destination and in order to create a base of
travel trade partners, the tourism body conducted a two-day training workshop
called the Amazing Thailand Champion Agents Program, in Goa, India making it
just the second country after the US to witness it. Speaking about this is Prakit
Piriyakiet, executive director (ASEAN), South Asia & South Pacific Region,
TAT, who says, "The programme is designed to educate travel trade members
on our up-market products. The workshop gave them an opportunity to interact
with senior TAT representatives from Bangkok and co-participating hotels and
tourism attractions from Thailand." The workshop saw participation from
about 40 trade members from across India.
India is the second country after the US to be introduced
to this programme. But whether this will be repeated in any other country is
debatable. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, director of TAT, says, "I am not
aware of plans by other TAT offices to organise a similar activity. However,
directors of our offices in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were also present in
Goa as observers and they will probably do similar things in their respective
regions. So you can say that Goa was a successful pilot project that TAT can
implement in other parts of the world."
| Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has tied up with
Kuoni Holidays and Mercury Travels for a series of activities and joint
promotions for its products in India. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, director
of TAT, reveals, "Kuoni Holidays has proposed a series of intensive
B2C activities that it would like to do with us. Our head office has approved
organising the Thailand Holiday Bazaar over a weekend in July 2008 to stimulate
package sales to Thailand and promoting luxury holidays in September 2008
via joint advertising with Kuoni in daily newspapers." TAT will sign
up a celebrity to be the brand ambassador for Thailand in India and even
come out with joint promotional material for consumers, which will include
a coffee table book and brochures on the destination.
Giving more information on the tie up with Mercury
Travels, Ayudhya said, "We will work together to print brochures
on Thailand, window displays at Mercury Travels stores in 12 cities and
a banner to promote Thailand on the company's website. Mercury will also
produce flyers promoting Thailand tour packages that will be distributed
at various events that the company will attend. These activities will
be done from September 2008 through February 2009. We may also collaborate
for sending a travel writer to Thailand with Mercury Travels taking care
of air transport while TAT looks after the ground arrangements."
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The format of this programme, if repeated, will probably change from one country
to another, Ayudhya said, adding, "Such programmes depend on factors such
as availability of agents to attend, travelling distance, how agents take tests
(online or in person), budget involved, and positive feedback from agents for
programmes like this."
The main aim of this workshop, according to Piriyakiet, is
to look at long-term partnership with the Indian travel agents and airlines
that are interested in promoting Thailand as a quality destination. "We
would especially like to work with those who can propose innovative ways to
reach our target groups - luxury travellers, weddings and honeymooners and MICE,"
he adds. In its 2008 marketing plan, it will take a group of wedding planners
and organisers from India on a familiarisation trip to Thailand and will participate
in at least one wedding fair in India. TAT plans to file the names of participants
of this workshop for future networking who will be given priority for promotional
activities.
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