How Thailand Markets Itself Globally

Tourism Upgrade with HollyG

How Thailand Markets Itself Globally chatting with the Minister for Tourism, Thailand.

Welcome to tourism upgrade the podcast unpacking marketing trends from travel, tourism and marketing leaders. I’m your host Holly G and today we welcome Thailand’s Minister for Tourism Mrs Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul. Today on the podcast we’ll be chatting about how Thailand markets itself globally.

Holly G: Hello Miss Kobkarn and welcome to the podcast.

Ms. Kobkarn: Sawasdee Ka. Hello.

Holly G: What brings you to Australia on this particular trip?

Ms. Kobkarn: Well, it is very important because Australian tourists, are what we call quality tourist to our country. And the number that you have visited us is a big amount but moreover the spending, the tourism receipt from Australian visitors to Thailand, actually you are number 1 in Asia Pacific and among Top 3 to Top 5 in the world. Meaning that you spend more, you stay longer in Thailand.

Holly G: And that really is the goal when we’re working in tourism is to encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more.

Ms. Kobkarn: Yes, but at the end of the day I have to say that revenue is one thing because no doubt every country is now considering tourism as a part of the economy. But for us, what is more important is the understanding between people to people and heart to heart of which tourism can bring about this. I believe unity and peace is maybe more important and tourism can bring more understanding. And so therefore, we would like to welcome more and more people to Thailand because with tourism there’s no politics, there’s only understanding from seeing the Thai. I think that people may still recall that we are the “Land of Smiles”. I think they’re repeating percentage of tourist to Thailand especially from Australia is about 70%. I do believe people do return to us because not of the number of destination that we have but I think the most important is the friendship that we have created.

Holly G: Lovely! So, how many people do visit Thailand and what are the key markets?

Ms. Kobkarn: Oh, about 800 thousand from Australia. We believe that even though we are doing very well between each other but my intention to be here is to introduce more product, more things that we can do together in Thailand. For example, we are now introducing ladies journey to Thailand because from the statistics that we have studied, about 60% of the Australian tourist to Thailand are male. And we can do more for the female and we are now launching the package for the ladies travelers, female executives, you can come not just only to sightsee in Thailand that is too normal for us, you can come and rejuvenate. We understand the ladies after working throughout the year; you better come and make yourself more beautiful. We introduce boxing class, Muai Thai boxing class, 3 days, 5 days. You can come and have a weight loss with muscle building. We teach you how to cook Thai; we take you to the fresh market. And we also make sure that you look more beautiful, I think our spa and beauty package, we are very famous for that. But moreover, the ladies, you spend more, but it’s very meaningful when you spend more because now, this year we are emphasizing on local experience. We would like tourism to help to reduce the gap between the super-rich and the very poor. We would like to take you to see the village. We would like you to buy more of the local stuff and these will be the things that we can help the people from other sectors. For example, like agriculture and what not. So, the Thai textile, the Thai local handicraft, these are the things the ladies would have more interest to buy. And it will definitely help to give additional income to the poor people.

Holly G: Yes! So, looking at how tourism can impact all parts of the country and all different sectors as you mentioned, textiles, agriculture, looking to be able to showcase those assets that Thailand has on offer.

Ms. Kobkarn: Especially the textile is very important not only in Thailand, I think throughout many countries in Asian because the textile; the weaving actually you can find everywhere in the village. Almost every house, the young ladies, they have to weave their own textile that is why it gives additional income to many local people not only to the main cities but to the secondary cities and the communities.

I had mentioned about Asian, this is also another new package, new product that we are now introducing to countries when destination among the Asian countries especially CLMV and T, meaning Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. So, any country that you’re thinking of, if you have interest to visit Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and what not. Two countries, meaning that all of us have some strong points, in Thailand we have very good connectivity, we have airlines that connect not only from capital to capital but capital to the 2nd tier cities or 2nd tier to 2nd tier or 2nd tier to 3rd tiers. We already introduced this kind of connectivity since last year. So for example, if you want to go to Myanmar, we take you to Chiang Mai which is the northern part of Thailand. We have the airlines that directly fly from Chiang Mai to Mandalay, the old capital old capital of Myanmar, and from Mandalay you can enjoy Pagan to Nepidor and back to Bangkok, so all of these “Two country, One destination” already possible. So, we connect Thailand-Myanmar, Thailand-Laos, Thailand-Cambodia, and now Thailand-Vietnam.

Holly G: So, what are the key marketing activities that you’re engaging to promote these new activities? I mean, tourism is so competitive now; there are so many more destinations even small countries like Bhutan and Iceland marketing themselves. What sort of activities is Thailand doing?

Ms. Kobkarn: Oh, very true! Everyone is now into tourism as the 2nd tier for the economy. I do believe that the main strength of Thailand tourism at the end of the day is about discovering Thainese, it’s the way of the Thai life. We interview and we make research on why people do return to Thailand. As I have said, 70%, which is quite high. The answer that we receive, they said we have beautiful beach like Phuket and Samui and what not. We have beautiful mountain like Chiang Mai. We have great shopping, we definitely have great food but at the end of the day is the friendship that they have discovered with the Thai people. People do return to eat with their friend, to stay at the same hotel maybe same room, to use the same taxi, to see friends. At the core, we know that it’s the Land of Smiles, the smiling face, the friendship that we have created and this is a thing that we should not forget. But then at the same time, we also should be competitive enough that a friendship is one thing but we do need to find new product and that is why we introduce new destinations. Since last year we have 12 Hidden Gems introduced to the world, meaning the secondary town not so far from the main cities. For example, if you know Chiang Mai very well, last year we introduce Lampang which is only one hour from Chiang Mai and now Lampang is doing well. And this year we introduced Lamphun which is only half an hour from Lampang. So, if you still returning to Chiang Mai, you still have a chance to visit Lampang horse carriage, chicken noodles bowl and one of the most beautiful northern architecture and Lamphun also is the same thing. So, it’s the local experience that we are now trying to introduce with the new destinations.

Holly G: So, it’s about making sure that the experience people are having on the ground is fantastic and then, also introducing new experiences so people will return again.

Ms. Kobkarn: So, your Thai friend will take you there. But those new local experience are authentic. Not something that we just created out of nowhere. Definitely, it’s the authentic city of the multicultural that we have over there. And this is quite new even to a lot of Thai, some people might not know of this, so this is a discover Thainese.

But another product that we also start to emphasize more is Sport Tourism. I do believe that Australian loves sports, outdoor very much and we are now introducing many sports that we have. For example, Dream Run in Amazing Thailand, I mean, you love to do marathon, triathlon and what not. You have a choice, every Bangkok marathon, Chiang Mai marathon, Phuket marathon, midnight marathon, we have choice for you. We also have bicycle route throughout the country and a new one coming up. For the bicycle race, we have almost every weekend. Golfing also, we are very big in Australia and also very big Thailand. We have more than 250 golf courses throughout the land. So, you can select and be there.

Holly G: Are you using social media incorporating into your marketing plans?

Ms. Kobkarn: Social Media is definitely important. The increased number of F.I.T. to Thailand and from around the world is very important. So, we touch on social media of every country where we have the offices but then at the same time the social media in Thailand we encourage bloggers, we encourage anything to do with this because that is the trend. And in Thailand now, the government of Prime Minister General Prayut, he’s now promoting Thailand to be ready for Thailand 4.0. Meaning, we are entering the age of the digital economy but we have to make sure that even though we should be ready for Tourism 4.0, but then at the same time we will not forget the core of us. I mean, digital is only the tool but at the end of the day it’s about the people that we need to bring up and it’s about heart to heart and friendship to friendship.

Holly G: Yeah, fantastic! Thank you! So, just the final question, I know we’re a bit short for time. I visited Thailand, I’ve been a couple of times but my last visit was in 2014 when I came over for the “Best friend’s Forever Famil”. And the reason for that, famil was really for Thailand to grow relationship with media and the travel industry after some political issues had happened. What is the political situation like now in Thailand?

Ms. Kobkarn: We are now returning to stability and safetiness and peace are already in place. And I think the figures prove because the number of travelers to Thailand has increased from around the world, from most of the country that I have to say, but that is the figures. More than that, we can see that people enjoy more places as I have said new product, new place and what not. People travel to the little towns; people do more of the activities with the communities and what not. Meaning, they have trust but then at the same time on another side we are working closely with great collaboration with other ministries to make sure that safetiness and the communions should be developed alongside with the growth of the tourism in Thailand. Therefore, the safety in the water, the safety on land and all various aspects, we are developing non-stop. Whatever happen, not only in Thailand, any place around the world we learn and trying to figure out what we should do more, what we should be more ready. Risk management, this kind of thing is the key that we are developing together with tourism because we believe that people should travel, this is according to you and the WTO. And maybe that’s why you and the WTO have already decided to have World Tourism Day celebration and conference in Thailand, September 27 of this year. And next year we are going to be the host for the Global Summit of both Travel and Tourism Council in April. And also in May, we will be the host country for the Wedding Planner Congress, they have decided because they have confidence. And we are working with that confidence to give the best out of amazing Thailand to everyone.

Holly G: I really appreciate your time. It is a great honor to talk to you and meet too. Any final comments before we wrap up?

Ms. Kobkarn: Well, at the end of the day I just would like to tell you Holly that I’m very much impressed with your leadership and the work with Women in Tourism. Because in Thailand we see that the next step that we should look for is tourism for all. Everyone should have equal rights, equal opportunities to do everything including tourism. So, with the World Tourism Day, that will be the main theme that we will create, tourism for all, for everyone. They should have chance and accessibility to travel and because we believe that with tourism we can bring the world together.

Holly G: Thank you very much!

Ms. Kobkarn: Thank you.

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