The “Product Manager Business Trip” between October 29 and last Friday was organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in cooperation with partner airlines to help the Chinese tour operators update their offers to their guests and clients. The trip covers products and services in Bangkok, Rayong, Pattaya and Samui.
Deputy Prime Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn said the familiarisation trip intended to help the Chinese tour operators realise that Thailand has a broad range of tourism products and services they can match with their customers’ needs and sell their tour packages profitably.
The fam trip also included two business-networking sessions with Thai tourism operators in Pattaya for all Eastern Region participants and another in Bangkok for operators in the Thai capital and surrounding areas.
TAT invited more than 100 local tour operators in Bangkok and Pattaya to join. They were encouraged to classify their tour packages in Silver, Gold and Premium categories to make it easier for the Chinese agents to sell them.
China is Thailand’s largest source of tourist arrivals, with 7.9 million visitors in 2015 and a projection of 10 million this year.
TAT said the annual World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) summit would take place in Thailand as planned from April 25-27, 2017.
David Scowsill, president and CEO of the WTTC, said that during the current period of mourning and transition, the global summit would serve to unify leaders of travel and tourism in support of Thailand and its people.
This year’s WTTC Global Summit saw 600 leaders and decision-makers from public-sector and private organisations recognise the issue of “Travel Beyond Boundaries” as the tourism business contributes immensely to the global economy nowadays and will do so in the future.