TAT teams up with Thai AirAsia to boost inbound travel

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai AirAsia have entered a partnership to promote travel to Thailand in key SEA and South Asian markets.  The partnership will utilise the airline’s increasing regional flight network to increase tourist numbers to Thailand. TAT and Thai AirAsia recently conducted a joint news conference at the TAT head office in Bangkok to discuss the plans, where they were joined by Tanes Petsuwan, TAT deputy governor for international marketing in APAC, and Santsuk Klongchaiya, CEO of Thai AirAsia.  

“Thai AirAsia is delighted to provide continued support in the return of foreign tourism to Thailand. Beginning in April 2022, we are gradually opening international routes linking the kingdom with key ASEAN and South Asian markets; namely, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Maldives, and India, totalling 18 routes,” said Klongchaiya. Different strategies will be employed for different markets in SEA, South Asia and South Pacific, and will be based on each market’s potential in the Thai tourism industry.
According to sources, TAT aims to attract 1.75 million tourists from regional markets as countries in the region begin to reopen. 

For Singapore, the ‘Rediscover Thailand’ campaign will help promote Thai AirAsia’s Singapore-Don Mueang and Singapore-Phuket flights, and will start from 11 April until 24 April. The campaign will target Millennials and young couples for travel in May up to July, and is expected to generate 3,000 sales.In Malaysia, the focus turns to leisure group travel, which includes a ‘Health and Wellness in Amazing Thailand’ campaign. Alongside special discounts, flights from Penang, KL and Johor Bahru to Thailand will be promoted. The brand expects 1,500 seats to sell.

For Cambodia, Thai AirAsia will open routes from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to Thailand from May to July 2022, and 1,000 seats are expected to be sold. The focus will be on fitness aficionados and Millennial family markets, who are interested in health, wellness and medical tourism.

Thai AirAsia’s routes to Thailand from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang will also be promoted in Vietnam to encourage tourist traffic. In India, travel to Thailand will be promoted through various media channels and a joint TAT-Thai AirAsia blogger/influencer trip is planned, as the airline aims to introduce flights from Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, and Jaipur to increase tourist numbers in Thailand by branching out to secondary urban areas in India.

TAT expects the third quarter of 2022 to be a suitable time to drive market operations, which will have a positive impact on Thailand’s tourism industry. A best-case scenario plan sees some 10 million foreign visitors coming to Thailand this year, generating THB$625.8 billion in revenue. 

Petsuwan added, “Tourism from foreign markets to Thailand in 2022 is ready to improve thanks to the easing of entry requirements into the kingdom and of travel restrictions in source markets. With Thai AirAsia’s plans to rebuild easy and adequate flight accessibility to Thailand, this is a good opportunity to stimulate interest among foreign travellers.”

2021 saw several countries in SEA buckling under strict restrictions or lockdowns, which halted regional tourism and visits. Thailand joins neighbouring countries Singapore and Malaysia in aims of reopening borders back to international tourists.   TAT and Thai AirAsia also worked together in April last year to promote its ‘Second-Tier Cities’ campaign, which sought to promote the country’s smaller cities as safe destinations that could be visited all year round. This was done in aims of promoting safe domestic travel within Thailand, as well as boosting the local economy.
-B