In a bid to revive tourist arrival numbers to the destination, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is reworking parts of its marketing and promotion strategy. Speaking at the launch of Thailand Tourism Market (TTM) (June 3-7, 2009), Juthaporn Rerngronasa, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, TAT revealed that arrival figures for the first four months of 2009 show that the total of 3.2 million visitors to Thailand was down 19 per cent compared to the same period last year. The drop in numbers was not uniform across all source markets. Visitors from the Middle East in the first quarter 2009 increased 11.5 percent, while visitors from South Asia rose 3.6 per cent. Mentioning the three key factors that have contributed to the decline in tourist arrivals, she said, “The global economic downturn, Thailand’s political situation and the H1N1 virus. TAT is proactively communicating to potential visitors to ensure their correct understanding of each factor.” TAT will also embark on road shows to China, Korea, Taiwan, India and Dubai to reinforce Thailand’s reputation as a value-for-money destination. |