TRAVEL
Thailand’s annual top travel show begins
With focus on top niche-markets and services:
M F Jabir in Bangkok
Four of Thailand’s top niche-market tourism segments will be featured
prominently at the 2012 Thailand Travel Mart Plus Amazing Gateway to the
Greater Mekong Subregion (TTM+2012) which commenced yesterday and
continue till June 8 at IMPACT Exhibition Centre Bangkok.
Organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) together with
the Thai tourism industry, the TTM will feature products and services
related to Ecotourism, Golf, Health and Wellness, and Wedding and
Honeymoon in a special dedicated pavilion. In addition to the four
mentioned categories, which have always been Thailand’s strong points,
there will also be a category focusing on General Leisure.
The TTM+ is the country’s premier annual trade event designed to
promote travel and tourism in Thailand and its neighbours in the Greater
Mekong Sub-region. One of its primary objectives is to provide a
platform for the region’s small and medium sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) to
cost-effectively promote their products and services, especially as many
of them cannot afford to go to foreign trade shows. This year, over 400
booths are available for travel operators and service businesses across
Thailand and the GMS countries.
The business categories arranged for the event are Accommodation,
Entertainment, Tourism Organization / Association, Tour Operator/Travel
Agent, Transportation, and Other Travel Services.Buyers are sourced from
the major markets such as Europe, South East Asia, Eastern Asia, the
United States, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as emerging ones like
the CIS countries, Eastern Europe, Middle East, South America, and South
Africa.TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said, “The focus on the four
niche-market segments is based on the global trend for more experiential
tourism, especially among repeat travellers seeking to spend more
focussed time on a particular activity.
“There is direct benefit for both buyers and sellers in this product
based category. It will open up opportunities for doing more business,
understanding each other’s needs and improving the creativity and
quality of services. This is because the buyers and the sellers could
directly relate to each other’s field of expertise”.Ecotourism: The Thai
travel and tourism industry is becoming increasingly conscious of its
environmental responsibilities. According to TAT Governor Suraphon
Svetasreni, “The need to reconcile the economic and ecological impact of
travel and tourism is critical to the Balanced Strategy that we are
pursuing as part of our tourism development policies.”
The Governor pointed out that the TAT has for years been undertaking
environmental protection activities and projects such as the Green Leaf
Certification Programme, the Thailand Tourism Awards programme, and the
7 Greens Concept, with an aim to promote environmentally-friendly
tourism.Golf: Thailand boasts over 200 high standard golf courses
nationwide. Many of them have been designed and created by some of the
game’s best-known players such as Nick Faldo, Arnold Palmer, Jack
Nicklaus, Steve Ballesteros, Gary Player, and Greg Norman. In recent
years, Thailand has hosted many major golf events such as the Thailand
Golf Championship, Asia Pacific Golf Summit, PGA Conference of Asia,
Honda LPGA Thailand, the 30th tournament on the tour's annual roster and
the 3rd Golf PGA Royal Trophy 2009.Health and Wellness:
A surge in Health and Wellness visitors is driven by the fact that
Thailand is an excellent place for both preventive and curative forms of
therapies and treatments. Thailand has over 200 international-standard
hospitals and clinics, state-of-the-art medical technology, reasonable
medical costs and excellent hospitality. It is also a perfect place for
post-treatment convalescence and recovery. Both patients and members of
their family can enjoy a good post-treatment holiday in Thailand at
excellent value-for-money prices.
Thailand is estimated to have attracted 1.8 million foreign visitors
seeking medical treatment in 2010. It is also an excellent locale for
people seeking to learn how to meditate and massage, based on the
country’s long-standing Buddhist traditions. Wedding and Honeymoon: In
recent years, Thailand has become increasingly popular among wedding
couples and honeymooners from India, China and France.
Many Indian couples choose Thailand because they wish to tie the knot
in a land renowned for its sense of grace and style, following customs
and ceremonies with rich roots in Buddhist culture. The secluded,
all-inclusive resorts are perfect for honeymoons. Invited media and
buyers will be able to avail of a range of post tours that will showcase
these products as well as Thailand’s world-renowned natural beauty and
rich cultural heritage.Last year, TTM Plus welcomed a total of more than
1,000 participants, including 150 members of the media, from 30
countries. The 368 seller organisations included 78 agencies who were
first-time sellers at this event. The 425 buyers from 54 countries
included 120 first-time buyers. |