Mrs. Juthaporn Rerngronasa,
Deputy Governor for Europe, Africa, Middle East and America Market, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Wednesday, 18 September, 2013,
Library room, Hotel Baltchug Kempinski Moscow, Russia
(7-10 Minutes)
Sawasdee kha, good morning, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai tourism industry, it is my honour and pleasure to welcome you this morning. I would like to thank you all for being with us, and would like to particularly thank our Thai Ambassador to the Russian Federation His Excellency Lieutenant Commander Itti Ditbanjong for your strong support in promoting tourism to Thailand.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Visitors from Russia to Thailand have been growing steadily over the past few years. Today, they have become mainstream travellers with strong growth potential. In 2006, Russian visitor arrivals totalled more than 187,000 (187,658), and by 2012, this number had grown exponentially to 1.31 million Russian visitors. Russia is the largest source market from Europe, and one of the six countries generating more than one million annual visitor arrivals for our country.
During January to July, 2013, Russian visitor arrivals to Thailand totalled about 986,000 (985,215), up by 36 percent over the same period in 2012. For the year 2013, TAT has projected 1.67 million Russian visitors will visit the country, up 27.8 percent over 2012.
One major reason for this growth is accessibility. Since March 2007, Russians have been able to receive 30-day visa-free access to Thailand. As of September 2013, there are 14 direct scheduled flights per week between Bangkok and Phuket and Moscow, operated by 2 airlines – Thai Airways International and Aeroflot Russian Airline. In addition to these direct flights, there are numerous airlines with connecting flights between major cities in Russia and Thailand; such as S7, Transaero, Vladivostok Air, Nord Wind and I Fly Air Company.
Alternatively, visitors can fly to Thailand by the Middle East airlines; such as, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines which provide several connecting flights per week from Russia to Thailand.
Thailand is a popular winter getaway destination for Russian visitors, especially families. The beach resort of Pattaya has become hugely popular thanks to the influx of Russian charter flights and a world-class highway going straight to the Eastern Seaboard resort from Suvarnabhumi Airport, the country’s main aviation gateway. In recent years, the southern islands of Phuket and Samui have also gained popularity.
Feedback indicates that in addition to the beaches, Russian travellers also enjoy Thai food, shopping and sightseeing.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thailand has a long tradition of catering to the luxury travel market, perhaps best exemplified by many of our world-renowned hotels which have hosted the rich and famous for many decades. Over the years, our hotels, including city, resort and spa properties, have emerged with top honours at the world’s leading awards. All these honours have played a very significant role in developing a very positive image for Thailand on the world travel and tourism stage. Let me just update you with some products.
Honeymoon and Wedding: Our luxury-travel experiences and products have been well-established for decades with a variety of prime properties nationwide. These have been extremely popular with the wedding and honeymoon market. Furthermore, there has been a recent explosion of many new boutique-style properties designed for discerning guests seeking a comfortable, delectable ambience, high-quality individualised service and, extremely important, total privacy.
Besides Phuket and Pattaya, other destinations for high-end markets in Thailand also have beautiful properties with a scenic view; such as, The Float House River Kwai Resort and Dheva Mantra Resort and Spa which are located near the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi province, in the west of Thailand.
Pool Villas: Another exciting development has been the emergence of a portfolio of private luxury pool villas available in many parts of the country. These allow luxury travellers to holiday in absolute privacy, comfort and style. The villas all boast private swimming pools and beachfront views, making them ideal for families, weddings and honeymooners.
Soft Adventure Activities: Thailand has many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries that offer plenty of opportunities for ecotourism and soft adventures; such as, trekking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, and cave exploring.
Medical and Wellness: To provide visitors with even more choices and greater value for money, our wellness products are being converted into packages that combine medical, physical and emotional consultations, traditional therapies, East-and-West spa treatments, plus various courses and classes. At present, many Thai hospitals have received international quality standard certification and offer a wide range of services with competitive prices and emphasis on medical check-ups, Anti-Aging, Detoxification and Holistic treatments.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I will not take any more of your time. We thank you for being here with us and hope you will take this opportunity to work with our private sector to develop more business opportunities.
Thank you very much and sawasdee kha.
