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Ninety German travel agents experience a Pattaya holiday they won’t soon forget

Observations from the TAT German Mega Fam Trip agents

Ninety German travel agents experience a Pattaya holiday they won’t soon forget

by Dr. Iain Corness

In March this year, Pattaya re-launched its image at the ITB (International Tourism Bourse) held in Berlin. This is the largest travel trade show in the world, and the leading lights in the local hospitality industry put differences aside, in a united front, to present the "new" Pattaya. Of course, there were those who refused the opportunity to go and continued to put forward negative comments such as the Pattaya promotion would flop. This last week has shown that the Berlin Pattaya promotion has begun to take effect - very positively. The "Doomsayers" were wrong again!

A group photo of the 90 German tour agents in front of the Royal Cliff Grand.

Research had shown that the European holidaymaker was looking for beach resort cities with environmentally clean seawater, safety, sun and many options for both singles and families. With the new wastewater treatment plant up and running, and the burgeoning "family" holiday pursuits, Pattaya knew it had to present that side of itself to the world. This includes water sports, superlative golf courses and natural eco-wonders, five star hotels and first class restaurants.

Enjoying a drink at the beach party.

The new image put forward by the promotions team sparked enough interest for 90 German tour agents to come to Pattaya last week to see for themselves. On this visit to Pattaya, the tour agents came via Taipei on China Airlines, and were guided by Frank Haussels, marketing manager of TAT in Germany; Stef Rijkers manager of the Europe Passenger Marketing Department of China Airlines; Michael Beirmann, sales manager of the German Branch of China Airlines and Heidi Kunz marketing executive for the Taipei Tourism Office.

Frank Haussels (left) from TAT Frankfurt waits with Nick Bauer (3rd right) and some of the German tour agents for the catamaran, which took them to Koh Pai (Bamboo Island).

For fact-finding groups such as this, it is important that the travel agents should be shown the convenience of our modern infrastructure, facilities, international shopping venues and restaurants, and all in our natural surroundings beside the sea. This is something not many other beach resorts can offer. While there’s no denying the fact that many tourists only think of bars and girls when they think of Pattaya, one should remember that this is part of any big city life, not just Pattaya. Amsterdam and London have numerous signs for massage parlors and escort services and people think nothing of it, while Pattaya has been branded.

Mayor Pairat joins some of the German tour agents for a swim.

During the five days in which Pattaya could impress the travel agents, they were given a comprehensive overview of what today’s Pattaya has to offer. They stayed in the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, a venue that is world class, and enjoyed "touristy" outings to places such as Koh Pai (Bamboo Island) on the Island Dream catamaran. On their return from the tropical island paradise, they were officially met by the mayor of Pattaya, Pairat Suttithamrongsawat, city hall officials, and women in sarongs. Being made to feel important never fails to impress, and private enterprise also got into the swing of it all. The Dusit Resort hosted an official dinner for the German group, with one of their countrymen, Ingo Räuber, the Dusit executive assistant manager, welcoming them.

These were not the only hotels to become involved, with many Pattaya hotels of all "star" grades showing the German group just what is on offer with local accommodation. It was the impression of the group that our 3 star hotels would be considered 4 star in Europe.

On the Saturday evening, a dinner was held on Beach Road, which was specially illuminated for the event. Food stalls from various Pattaya hotels, including the Amari Orchid Resort, the Pattaya Marriott & Spa, the Siam Bayshore, the Town in Town Hotel, the Mountain Beach, and the Grand Sole provided a selection of fine cuisine. Musical entertainment was provided by the Diana Inn, and the evening ended with a trip to Tiffany’s.

On Sunday the guests were taken to the Horseshoe Point equestrian resort off Siam Country Club Road, where they were welcomed by the owners, Chainarin and Chaikiri Srifuengfung, who treated the guests to the experience of the equestrian display and show.

The farewell party was held at the Hard Rock Hotel. To remind the guests of their homeland, the Hard Rock presented a German night, complete with the Thai Navy Band performing in Lederhosen. Again the visitors were impressed with the versatility and professionalism of the Pattaya hospitality industry, all commenting on the fantastic German food that was put on for them. After dinner they were seen letting their hair down at the Hard Rock Cafe and great memories of an eventful five day tour were taken back to Germany.

This combined approach from all sides of Pattaya was appreciated by the German group. Julia Heidenhain, from the American Express Tour Agency in Munich, and Elena Leyfman, sales manager, Reiseburo Leo Sawin Travel Agency and their friends commented that this was their first time in Asia. "Thai people are just so different. They are very friendly and are always smiling. In other countries, service people are maybe efficient and courteous, but you don’t get the real warm feeling like you get here. It gives you the impression that it’s coming from the heart. We were more relaxed here and it’s really like a holiday. The bargaining at shopping places is fun too."

By impressing the counter staff at the overseas travel agencies, our resort has a much greater chance of converting Pattaya promotions into tourists on the ground. It is an ongoing endorsement in which we must all be involved. This German group is just the beginning. Together we can all assist Pattaya enter the 21st century as a vibrant resort city with a great future. Let us not let ourselves down!

Observations from the TAT German Mega Fam Trip agents

Elfi Seitz & Stefan Kopp

Wolf-Rüdiger Mütsch, Air Travel Service Mannheim

Wolf first came to Pattaya in 1969 so he has seen some dramatic changes. He said, "Not every group of tourists will opt for the wilderness or an uninhabited island. Pattaya offers much for families in the way of culture, food and activities. Beach Road not only has the seaside beach but great shopping and delicious food."

Wolf added, "PEACH and TAT give out fantastic brochures in Germany, and there are a lot of Germans who have good information on Pattaya and are not put off by unflattering press. I see Pattaya as a great destination all year round. Thailand has reasonable prices for package tours, which is attractive since Euro-inflation has made an impact on people’s holiday budgets.

"In Mannheim there are at least 5 big Thai shops where Thai food is available. Mannheim has a big Thai community which returns to Thailand regularly.

"Organizers of this trip did a fantastic job. They organized a terrific program and did a great job of promoting Thailand and Pattaya." Wolf pointed to his waistline and laughed, "I’ve gained 3 kilograms since I arrived."

Tijana Dimitrijevic, Flugbörse Essen

Tijana won the round trip prize at the Dusit Resort! She said, "I will definitely send my clients to relax in Pattaya or as part of a round trip. I am of the opinion that the sex tourism topic has been over-sensationalized in the European press. The trip was organized and the agenda included many delightful surprises. There is variety here which creates so many choices for tourists. The food is wonderful; the sun and sea trips were great and the hospitality is charming."

Kirsten Müller, Ticket Team Berlin and Sabrina Katzner, RTD-Reisebüro Erkelenz

"Super night-life! There’s a lot happening here," Kristen said. "We found each day was packed with interesting activities and Thai people are open and friendly."

Silke Mürebach, Meisenheim bei Bad Kreuznach and Wolf Leuen, Sparflug Hamburg

The group declared, "The Amari-Hotel is ideal for families and what beautiful poolside! Thai people seem very friendly and there are lots of things to do here. Tourists will not be bored since there are so many tours to nearby destinations."

Erol Alkanoglu

A German citizen, Erol hails from Turkey but has lived in Germany for 30 years. For the past 12 he has run his own travel agency called Ephesus Reisen. This was his first trip to Thailand. His first impression was that Thailand is a big country and realized that Pattaya would be unique and not necessarily representative of the whole kingdom. But he wanted current information on Pattaya.

Erol said, "Coming here to see for myself was the best way to get a clear picture of Pattaya and its environment. When I deal with potential clients I really have to know what I am talking about. A few days may be short, but a trained eye sees that a visitor with more time to spend in Pattaya will discover there is much to take in."

Ursula Wegener

Ursula represents KL Reisen in Liederbach, Taunus, Germany and has worked in the travel industry for 30 years. She arranges groups to tour the world but specializes in Asia. Ursula believes in sending customers to places she has been to herself. She came to Pattaya 20 years ago and had not been back since. At that time she was disappointed. However, this trip brought some very pleasant surprises. "I was impressed with the up-grades and changes. I noticed that there is a new breed of tourist who comes here now. European men are bringing their wives and families to holiday here, and the number of elderly couples on the streets and beaches sends a positive signal. Things caught my eye! For example, the stray-dog population seems to be more controlled. Thai behavior toward visitors has improved and they are friendly and service oriented, and there is a wide range of prices which fits everyone’s budget," Ursula said.

Petra Arnold

Petra from Globus Reisen Potsdam owns 3 agencies in Germany. She specializes in sales tours to tour operators and most of these clients are nature lovers and travel the globe. They revel in observing rare plants and animals and some groups even book hunting trips.

Petra prefers to send long-term guests to Thailand for 2-6 months. She sees Pattaya as a good choice. "My clients are long-term tourists who must work out a budget and schedule that will include variety so they don’t get bored. Great food, wonderful climate, and Pattaya’s prices are reasonable compared with some other places in Thailand. The hotels are better than in many in Europe which are classed in the same star-group. Truthfully, Pattaya’s reputation worried me at first. That is why I took the trip to see for myself. What do I think now? Frankly, from what I’ve seen on this trip I think its infamy has been exaggerated," Petra said.

Alexander Rössler and Julia Strähl

Alexander Rössler and Julia Strähl, AER Ticket Nürnberg specialize in stop-over programs. Although Pattaya is not ideal for this kind of arrangement since the airport is too far away, they found it a delightful destination for most other tourists, including families. They raved about the super-show in Hollywood Disco. "(There’s) nothing like it in Germany," Alexander said.

Julia laughed and said she still has sore lips from the spicy Thai-style papaya salad. "The water in Pattaya Bay may not be crystal clear but it is certainly fine to swim in," Julia added. They both agreed that although the beach promenade is close to the street, and the beach is narrow, they acknowledged that it is, after all a commercial city’s beach, and therefore rather unique in its own way.

Alexander said, "The service in the hotels and restaurants is perfect. I particularly loved the congeniality of ordinary people on the streets - very different from Germany where overt friendliness to strangers is rare."