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Pattaya hotels attend 4th ‘Thai tour Thai’ fair in Bangkok
Promoting local tourism
Suchada Tupchai
The focus on tourism remains strong, with a major
emphasis being put on the local markets. The Tourist Authority of Thailand
(TAT) campaign ‘Thai tour Thai’, now in its fourth year, was the main
theme of an exhibition at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in
Bangkok.
Pattaya
hotels were well-represented at the 4th ‘Thai tour Thai’ fair in
Bangkok.
Chadej Insawang, permanent secretary to the Ministry of
Tourism and Sport, presided over the opening of the 4-day travel industry
exhibition.
 Chadej
Insawang, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, beats
the victory drum to sound the start of the exhibition.
The strong presence from Pattaya hotels and tourist
attractions was evident, drawing a great deal of interest in the region,
which is trying to regain its place of pride as Thailand’s most popular
beachside destination.
The exhibition fair was held in cooperation with TAT and PK Exhibition
& Management Co. Ltd. Many booths, shops and travel services were also
featured throughout the event. The fair is expected to draw at least 100,000
people to the city over the following year.
Thailand wins ‘Go Asia Award’ for most popular tourist destination
Thailand has been awarded an international tourism prize
for being the most popular tourist destination - good news announced by the
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which is believed to further boost the
country’s tourism industry.
TAT said in an official announcement that Thailand was
voted to win the ‘Go Asia Award’, which was jointly organized by the
Reise und Preise Magazine, a world tourism magazine, and the Go Asia group,
an alliance of national tourism agencies of various countries, as well as 23
world tour businesses, and airlines.
The organizers recently surveyed opinions of 5,403 global
tourists, most of whom, or 4,105 accounting for 75.60%, voted that Thailand
deserved the prestige prize, followed by Singapore (53.70%), Indonesia
(50.30%), Hong Kong (43.80%), and Malaysia (43.80%).
The award was announced at an international tourism fair,
the ‘ITB 2004’, held in Berlin on 12-16 March, according to the TAT. The
award is believed to help attribute to a further increase in foreign tourist
arrivals in Thailand in coming years. (TNA)
‘Car passports’ to facilitate border crossings
The Thai and Lao governments have signed an agreement to
pave the way for a relaxation of regulations governing the passage of
vehicles across their mutual border.
Announcing the ‘vehicle passport’ scheme, Deputy
Transport Minister Nikorn Jamnong said that the two governments had put
their signatures to a deal on road crossings between the two nations.
Under the agreement, vehicles from the two countries will
now be issued with ‘passports’ and stickers detailing their country of
origin, which will allow them to cross the Thai-Lao border and use the
vehicle in the other country.
Nikorn expressed confidence that the deal will boost
tourism and cross-border trade between the two countries. “I believe that
this deal is a good one, and that in the future we can make similar
arrangements with all our other neighboring countries. We are now
negotiating with Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar”, he said.
The ‘passports’ come in three types: green for trucks
and passenger vehicles, blue for diplomatic vehicles and vehicles belonging
to international agencies, and purple for personal cars and other vehicles.
(TNA)
Incentive travel
to be taxed in China
The Chinese government has announced employee benefits such
as incentive travel will be subject to taxation. The announcement issued by the
Finance Ministry and State Administration of Taxation said in business
activities, traveling associated with training sessions, seminars and
fact-finding tours offered by businesses and organizations for outstanding
employees should be levied as taxable employment income.
The announcement has worried business owners who feel it will
deter clients who would normally give cash rewards or gifts as a convenient way
to avoid tax issues, from spending generously on parties and incentive programs
as employee rewards. (TTG Asia)
Thailand agrees to US border control security system
Tom Ridge, the United State’s Secretary for Homeland
Security arrived in Bangkok recently to discuss increased cooperation on
combating terrorism. A memorandum of intent was signed for the Provision of a
Terrorist Interdiction Program Border Control System at the Foreign Affairs
Ministry.
Thailand agreed to install the infrastructure for the
Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Valuation System (Pisces) at
Bangkok International Airport to make it operational. The system will be
extended to other airports.
Pisces will be used to computerize records of passengers
traveling in and out of the country in order to check the movement of suspected
terrorists, especially illegal migrants. The US has forwarded the Pisces
proposal to over 60 governments around the world to set up the system with
financial assistance. (TNA)
More money needed
in TAT coffers
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has told the
government it needs more money if it is to achieve its 2004 target of 12 million
foreign tourist arrivals and a major increase in domestic trips.
A government spokesman said TAT had asked for an additional
1.6 billion baht (US$64 million), to include 900 million baht for overseas
promotion, 500 million to stimulate domestic tourism and 200 million for
strategic studies.
Much of the additional budget will be spent on trying to
change the perception that Thailand is not the place to visit in the low season.
The TAT will work in conjunction with the Tourism Council to boost arrivals in
the April to October period, said the spokesman. Major source markets such as
Japan, Korea, the UK and Germany would be the focus of increased marketing
activities, and more activity can also be anticipated within the region. (TTG
Asia)
Added incentives for Skywards members
Sri Lankan Airlines’ frequent
flyer program Skywards, is offering double miles to members traveling on
business class. The offer is valid from May 1 to June 10 and is applicable on
most of its routes. For example, members will earn 15,056 miles instead of 7,528
miles on a Hong Kong/Colombo return journey. With just 10,000 miles, a member is
entitled to a free return ticket from Colombo to the Maldives or to any point in
South India. (TTG Asia
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