It was a similar situation when schoolchildren spotted our tour group on the tram. Even a monk asked us about our nationality. It was an exceptionally agitated response in Thailand, where international tourism accounted for 11.5% of GDP before Covid-19 — but in the northern cities of Nan and Phrae, we were a distinct newcomer.
Following the Thailand Travel Mart in Bangkok this month, visiting traders and media were sent out to discover these hidden gems. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has prioritized a sustainable recovery from Covid-19 and expects tourists to do the same.
Thailand has until October 2022 to lift the final visitor restrictions. In its first year, it aims to welcome 795,000 British tourists – 80% of the pre-Covid figure. January-April brought in more than 305,000 people, and 2024 is expected to be at least on par with 2019.
What is changing are those places where tourists are drawn. “We used to be a mass tourism destination, but now is the time for us to diversify Thailand through meaningful travel,” said Teerasil Tapen, Executive Director, Europe, Africa and Middle East, TAT. “It’s natural that people tend to travel to the big cities first, but we’re trying to provide them with secondary towns.”
This so-called “hub and hook” approach prompted, for example, Chiang Mai as a springboard for Pai or Lampang; Trang for Phuket and Krabi; and Surat Thani for Koh Samui. Trade training, roadshows and education will showcase emerging destinations.
The TAT assesses the international readiness of these places, and Tapen acknowledges the responsibility: “Before, we thought like marketers – now we have to think of ourselves as developers.[Our actions]will distribute wealth to someone and we have to decide assigned to whom.”
