The Pattaya Business & Tourism Association is charting its effort to bring more Asian tourists to Pattaya.
Association President Ekasit Ngampichet said Jan. 14 that the PBTA will join trade shows aimed at travelers from China, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau. The emphasis will not be on package tourists, but the “free and independent traveler (FIT)”, he said.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is also making a push for Chinese FIT tourists by inviting bloggers to Pattaya this spring to promote the city on social media.
The association also plans to make presentations at domestic roadshows, such as the twice-annual Thai Federation of Provincial Tourist Association meetings.
Those confabs generally focus on businesses and OTOP products, but PBTA plans to bring the operators of Pattaya-area tourist attractions to market the area to tour guides and hospitality companies, Ekasit said.
He added that Pattaya has many tourist attractions that are not widely known. Highlighting those can lead to repeat Thai visitors.
He said PBTA expects the Thai/foreign tourist ratio to be 40/60 in 2019.
