Interview with the Director of the East Asia Department of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. “Hope you enjoy a high-quality trip to Thailand” – Travel Observation

On May 18, the Tourism Authority of Thailand held the “2018 Thailand Luxury Roadshow” for tourism professionals at a hotel in Tokyo. This is a program where hotels, restaurants, cooking classes, cruise lines, golf courses, etc. from all over Thailand come to Japan and hold business meetings with Japanese travel agencies one after another. Before the business meeting, the situation of Thailand’s tourism industry was explained, and the head of the East Asia Bureau who was visiting Japan was interviewed.

Mr. Ranchuan Thongrut, Director of the East Asia Bureau of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said in his opening speech that last year (2017) was the 130th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-Thailand Friendship Treaty. 1.54 million Japanese visited Thailand. The economic effect was 220 billion yen, an increase of 10% over the previous year, making it the third largest market after China and South Korea. In addition, he also revealed that the Fukuoka office, which has been closed for two years, will reopen and carry out activities in three strongholds in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

Mr. Thongrut said: “We hope that customers who pursue higher-quality travel will come to Thailand. This time, we have invited 23 high-quality companies to Japan for a road show with the word ‘luxury’ in the title. I hope it will be a great way to get acquainted.” Opportunities for new partners.”

Mr. Ranchuan Thongrut, Director of East Asia Bureau, Tourism Authority of Thailand

Next, Mr. Kisho Fujimura, Marketing Manager of the Tokyo Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, introduced the general situation of Japanese tourists to Thailand. At present, the ratio of male to female is 7.5:2.5, and the number of female customers has increased to nearly 30%. As we all know, Thailand has a lot of repeat customers, but about 20% of first-time visitors to Thailand (first-time tourists) are FIT (foreign independent tourists), and they arrange their own air tickets and accommodation, which is about 80%.

The target for Japanese tourists in 2018 is 1.65 million, with even higher targets for women, students, families, weddings and sports. The theme this time around is luxury, but as mentioned above, he said, “I think it will fit the female demographic and weddings.” Also, students are a big market when considering first-time visitors, and student travel in particular has Two types: cheap travel and purposeful travel.

Mr Fujimura said the word “luxury” symbolizes tourist material in Thailand, saying “the five X’s are hidden”.
·exclusive
・e excellence
・Professional knowledge (professional)
・eXcelent eXperience (excellent experience)
Explain that it is possible.

For example, in addition to eating Thai food, Mr. Fujimura also expressed his desire to participate in local cooking classes and have the experience of “making Thai food by himself”, and he himself has “Silom Thai Cooking”. It is said that he experienced cooking in Bangkok. He explained It can be said that the experience of knowing the ingredients in the market, cooking with the instructor in the cooking studio, and eating by yourself can be said to be 4.0 of Thai cuisine. There is also a video of Nogizaka46 members serving as tourism ambassadors experiencing cooking.

Mr. Yoshiaki Fujimura, Marketing Manager, Tokyo Office, Tourism Authority of Thailand

Explain that there are “5X” in Thailand’s travel materials

Interview with Ranchuan Thongrut, Director of East Asia Bureau, Tourism Authority of Thailand

After the explanation of the business meeting, Mr. Lanchuan Tonglu, Director of East Asia Department, responded to the interview.

――What is the factor that attracted 1.54 million Japanese tourists in 2017?

Mr Thornroot:One of the reasons why Thailand has been recognized as a popular tourist destination for many years is the “Thainess”, which we think is very strong and unique. Japanese customers are interested in the background of other countries, such as history and culture, and I think Thailand can respond to this. Specifically, Thai food, Thai tropical fruits, handicrafts, world heritage sites, and Buddhist sites are popular.

Of course, even with good material, I don’t think I would visit again without feeling the excitement of interacting with the people who live there. In this regard, I think the spirit of Thai hospitality is well conveyed.

The tourism industry is also arguably doing well, with regular direct flights between Japan and Thailand on the rise.

――The title this time is “Luxury Roadshow”, so what is the purpose of luxury?

Mr Thornroot:This “luxury” doesn’t just mean having luxury items or having things that money can buy. There are “five Xs” in the previous explanation, but for example “eXclusive” can propose a tailor-made “my own travel course”, and “eXpertise (professional)” So, when you want to learn something in Thailand, it It’s relatively easy to arrange things like Muay Thai lessons from a former world champion or golf lessons from renowned professionals.

In other words, it shows that luxury is not just for the rich, but that extraordinary things can be experienced differently than before. The material called “Thailand 5X” existed before, but this time we selected and invited suppliers who could meet the demand. Wishing you a pleasant trip and a high quality trip to Thailand.

Mr. Tornrut answers questions

――How does Thailand view the Japanese market?

Mr Thornroot:It’s been 15 years since I’ve been in, but unfortunately it’s steadily declining. The Japanese market is growing, but other countries are growing faster. Currently, the Japanese market ranks 5th by population and 7th by income. In 2017, the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand reached 9.8 million, and it is believed that this number will exceed 10 million in 2018.

One of the characteristics of Japanese customers is their strong interest in Thai history, art and culture. We also know you care about safety and cleanliness. Many people make full preparations and collect information before traveling, so I think it is necessary to send out useful information such as traffic. Also, since there are many people who are not good at languages, we are preparing to strengthen Japanese support.

By the way, Japanese people don’t like places that are “full of Japanese people”, so today I would like to introduce some new places. First of all, in the north, Chiang Mai is a famous main destination, but then I would like to recommend three cities.

One is the northernmost “Chiang Rai Province”, which borders Myanmar and Laos, and is also the descendant of mountain tribes in Yunnan Province, China. There are tea gardens and coffee gardens. “Nan Province” is an ancient city with a long history, and because of its compact structure, it can be visited on foot or by bicycle, and the security is also very stable. “Purai County” is famous for its indigo dyeing, and you can experience it like Amami and Ryukyu indigo. Both have direct flights from Bangkok.

“Lop Buri Province” in the central part is a place that developed as the deputy capital of the king’s capital between Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. It is a ruin (during the war) that was destroyed in the same era as Ayutthaya. lesser cities. Suburban sunflower fields stretch across the horizon and can be seen from October to February.

I think the beach in Hua Hin is very suitable for Japanese people. It has been a royal resort through the ages, as well as the location of upper-middle-class holiday homes. However, you can eat street food on the street, and there is a golf course of international standard.

Finally, regarding the south, Krabi, further south of Phuket, is an area that is being marketed as a natural resort, for example by banning environmentally unfriendly marine sports. Five-star resorts line the streets, and you can even visit the beautiful islands of the Andaman Sea.