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Thailand unveils three marketing pushes to attract business events
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) late last month
unveiled three strategic initiatives to boost awareness and confidence
in Thailand as a dynamic business event destination.
The “Meetings More Memorable and Meetings Plus” campaign targets smaller
groups of 25-50 delegates from long haul markets by offering value added
golf, spa, welcome receptions and cultural shows.
Secondly, a new cluster marketing drive aggressively promotes the
advantages of holding events in five distinct geographical areas of
Thailand: Bangkok/Pattaya, Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai, Nakon Ratchasima/Khon
Kaen, Cha-am/Hua Hin, and Phuket/Krabi/Phangnga. To support the
initiative, TCEB has produced a new 174-page “Venue Variety” directory
with full information about business event facilities in each location.
Thirdly, TCEB will emphasize testimonials from organizations with
first-hand experience of holding recent business events in Thailand. The
emphasis on building trust by via testimonials is part of TCEB’s
“Thailand Moving Forward” campaign launched in February. Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva has endorsed the TCEB campaign.
Details on the three initiatives were revealed to media at IMEX 2009 in
Frankfurt, a specialist event for the global business event industry
which has attracted 3,500 exhibitors from 150 countries.
Attending IMEX, TCEB’s senior manager for meetings and incentives,
Puripan Bunnag, gave details to media and industry delegates. He said,
“The initiatives have been launched to rebuild confidence, add real
value to meetings and incentives clients, and give assurances to event
organizers who are considering Thailand again.”
As part of a broad ranging update about Thailand, Puripan told media at
IMEX that new laws and safeguards were in place to protect the country’s
airports and meeting venues. “New insurance policies in place for all
international visitors should give business event organizers and
tourists additional peace of mind,” he said.
TCEB now estimates that the meetings, incentives, conventions and
exhibitions (MICE) industry in Thailand will bring in 41 billion baht
this year and attract half a million participants. (From the TCEB
office)
Government set to encourage long public holidays, says PM
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday announced that the government
is ready to encourage a long public holiday as part of efforts to
stimulate local tourism.
Speaking during a visit to the “Seminar in Thailand, Proud of Assisting
Country,” he said his government had increased promotion of seminar and
tour activities in Thailand in a bid to ease the impacts of the current
economic sluggishness on tourism.
He conceded that the economic meltdown had trimmed Thailand’s tourism
revenue by about Bt 500 billion annually.
To spur tourism, he said, the government is encouraging the public and
private sectors to hold meetings and seminars here, and will provide tax
relief to tourism operators.
What the government will do next is to consider longer public holidays
in a particular period as it deems appropriate.
In the past, people preferred traveling to various tourist destinations
within Thailand during the long public holidays, he said, adding that it
helped boost the distribution of incomes in different parts of the
country. (TNA)
THAI confident Piyasvasti could improve carrier’s business
Thailand’s national flag carrier Thai Airways International (THAI) is confident
that Piyasvasti Amaranand, selected last week as new president of the
cash-strapped airline, can help turn around the company’s business performance,
according Wallop Bhukkanasut, chairman of THAI’s executive board.
 Piyasvasti
Amaranand
Wallop said he had met Piyasvasti, a former energy minister, a few times earlier
and the board will hold an orientation session so that the new president would
gain information on the airline’s business as well as causes that had caused it
to experience significant losses, but after he officially takes over the post.
He said Piyasvasti is a straightforward person and that his previous working
record is transparent so the board is confident that he could help make THAI
regain its role as a leading world airline, with revenue to improve at least 6-7
percent from last year.
On a plan by THAI to order six A380 superjumbo jets at a total cost of about
US$1.8 billion, Wallop said the issue is now under review due to the current
global economic slump and the A(H1N1) flu.
The study will focus on whether the planned procurement is necessary for THAI
and a final decision is expected to be made within the next one to two months,
Wallop said.
He said a short-term reorganization for THAI is now completed while its medium-
and long-term plans should be ready to submit to the Cabinet soon. (TNA)
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