THAILAND last year welcomed more Indian travellers than the year before, with the kingdom recording about 1.1 million Indian arrivals, growth of four per cent over 2012.
The tourism board is expecting growth of seven to eight per cent in tourist arrivals this year over 2013.
Said Runjuan Tongrut, director, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), New Delhi office: “Cities like Bangkok and Pattaya remained hugely popular with Indians and there was a noticeable rise in demand for the regional destinations of Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, and Krabi.
“Favourite activities for Indians in Thailand continued to be shopping and sightseeing, but there was also significant growth in the number of Indian weddings in the country, golf tours, spa and wellness trips, student travel, eco-tourism and MICE.”
“We will focus on non-metro Indian cities and on creating awareness of our festivals like Songkran and Loi Krathong to fuel growth in the Indian market.”
TAT New Delhi office will also organise a three-city road show In August covering Delhi, Jaipur and Amritsar respectively.
Meanwhile, Thailand is witnessing an increase in demand from women group travellers from India in 2014, despite its political unrest.
“We are noticing a new trend this year with many all-women groups travelling to Thailand for experiential trips. These groups are particularly interested in spas, wellness centres and Thai cooking classes besides exploring new destinations,” shared Runjuan.
Apart from budget and young travellers, TAT is looking to draw more Indian luxury travellers and well-travelled tourists to the country, engaging travel consultants in the promotion of yacht excursions, high-end hotels, exclusive dining and entertainment activities.
