Thailand looks to go Dutch with tourists from the Netherlands

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) roadshow continues to gather a head of steam with the Netherlands the latest European country on its hit list.

Last week, the TAT was in Germany at the ITB Berlin 2023 event to officially launch the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2023: Amazing New Chapters’ campaign, which aims to promote sustainable and responsible tourism in Thailand, focusing on meaningful travel experiences. Yesterday, the TAT, and the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, Surat Thani, organised the Post ITB Roadshow in Amsterdam, Netherlands on March 13.

The roadshow gathered a number of dignitaries that included: Surat Thani Governor Vitchavut Jinto, Thai Ambassador to The Hague Chatri Archjananun, Deputy Director of TAT in the Paris office Nuttira Aumponpan, over 40 travel agents from the Netherlands, 20 entrepreneurs from Koh Samui, Koh Pangan, Koh Tao, and Khao Sok, and airlines such as Bangkok Airways and EVA, which offer direct flights from Amsterdam to Thailand.

Business discussions between the Thai entrepreneurs and Dutch participants proved successful, reported KhaoSod. Travel agents expressed keen interest in learning more about accommodations, activities, prices, and other package tours to nearby areas such as Koh Samui, Koh Pangan, Koh Tao, and the city of Surat Thani. The focus was on cultural tours and wellness, with an emphasis on promoting environmentally friendly tourism, including low-carbon tourism. Moreover, the province plans to combine the marketing of Khao Sok National Park and Cheow Lan Lake for the upcoming summer.

The promotion is expected to attract more tourists from the Netherlands to the province this year, with hopes that the number of tourists will return to pre-Covid levels. Local businessmen are keen to provide tourists with meaningful and sustainable travel experiences.

Chengdu to Samui

Koh Samui is now opening its doors to Chinese visitors. According to Kanokkittika Kritwuttikon, the director of TAT Koh Samui, a single weekly flight from Chengdu to Samui is scheduled this month.

The flight, which will utilize an Airbus A319 that can accommodate 140 passengers, is set to depart every Sunday. However, the TAT Samui has plans to increase flight frequency to three times a week come May.

Kritwuttikon disclosed that most Chinese tourists typically travel solo and stay for an average of seven days. She noted that the region is a favourite destination for high-spending Chinese travellers, with 308,303 visitors recorded in 2019. These tourists spent an average of 6,118 baht per day, which amounted to a staggering 14 billion baht in revenue – a remarkable 24% of the foreign spending in the region.

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The TAT is projecting that approximately 300,000 Chinese tourists will visit Thailand in the first quarter of 2023, indicating steady growth in the sector. Nevertheless, the organization is optimistic that the trend will persist throughout the year and push the number of Chinese visitors to five million by 2023.