Santi Pawai, deputy permanent-secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, said on Friday that the ministry has set up an operations centre to help tourists affected by the storm.

The centre, jointly run by state agencies and the private sector, will also keep a close eye on the situation.

The centre, manned by staff from the Tourist Assistance Centre and Tourist Police, will be available round the clock and can be reached via (02) 356 0662, (02) 356 0688, (065) 504 1484 and via fax at (02) 356 0655

Pabuk, the first tropical storm in decades to strike during the peak holiday season, is expected to make landfall on Friday evening.

Airport director Kamhaeng Saiwiphu announced on Friday that the airport will be closed from 4pm Friday until noon on Saturday.

Passengers can call 077-441230 for more information.

Nakhon Si Thammarat airport was earlier ordered to close on Friday until noon on Saturday.

Airports of Thailand has instructed Surat Thani, Chumphon, Ranong, Trang and Narathiwat airports to closely monitor the storm and prepare measures to deal with its impact.

Pabuk, the first tropical storm in decades to strike during the peak holiday season, is expected to make landfall on Friday evening.

The closure affects services by Nok Air, AirAsia and Lion Air.

Airports of Thailand has instructed Surat Thani, Chumphon, Ranong, Trang and Narathiwat airports to closely monitor the storm and prepare measures to deal with its impact.

The airline’s advisory comes after the Thai Meteorological Department warned that the storm will hit the southern region of Thailand during January 3-5.

The airline advised passengers to contact the airline’s 24-hour Call Center at 1171 to check flight status before travelling or rebook their flight if needed.

As revenue for the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions tourism segment skyrocketed from Bt5.9 billion to a record-high Bt10.9 billion, the key metric that reflects the economic impact is the average spend of Bt13,000 per person.

Looking at the size of the market, a report from consulting group C9 Hotelworks Phuket MICE Market Update, reported that for the full year, the island hosted 660 events with close to 60,000 participants.

With overseas demand becoming increasingly prolific throughout Thailand, the Top 3 international geographic source markets are Singapore, Mainland China and India.

Another key feeder of business is Indian weddings, which is attracting high-spending events from the subcontinent. Over the last month the island attracted two luxury weddings, with spending for each eclipsing Bt320 million. One key catalyst that is expected to see this market grow is the uptick is introduction of direct flights by GoAir between the resort destination and Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru.

One niche that Phuket has commanded a best in class reputation and sustainable upward trajectory is in large sports events. This year the Laguna Phuket Marathon attracted over 8,000 participants while garnering considerable international visitors. Other marquee events include the Laguna Phuket Triathlon and Thailand Yacht Show and Rendezvous.

Commenting on the importance of the meeting and incentive segment to island tourism, C9’s Managing Director Bill Barnett said: “Phuket has been successful in attracting high-yielding MICE business on substantially less volume than Thailand’s leading event destinations of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya. The expansion of the gateway airport has added to the attractiveness by inducing broader demand.

“Despite the absence of a convention center, recent notable additions includes the new 1,000 seat Grand West Sands Resort venue which is being managed by Hong Kong’s Langham Hospitality Group. In the longer term, Central’s planned 10,000 square meter MICE facility in the heart of Phuket is expected to start development within two years, and will result in a coming of age for an already dynamic storyline of growth.”

The number of independent tourists visiting the northern city has been rising gradually though the number of group tourists dropped slightly after a boat accident in Phuket killed 47 tourists in July, Pakkanan told The Nation in an interview last week.

The 60:40 ratio of independent and group tourists over the past few years has changed to 70:30, Pakkanan added.

She explained that the increasing number of free independent travellers included domestic tourists as well as foreigners, especially those from Europe, Australia and India.

The director, who was posted in Chiang Mai two months ago, said the city seems to have become more popular among Europeans, especially Italians and from German-speaking countries, as well as Russians.

Also, some nationalities visit Chiang Mai more often and during specific seasons. For instance, Israelis usually prefer to come during the rainy season to enjoy the sound of rain and waterfalls, as their country is more prone to droughts. But now, many of them also visit during the winter season.

Foreign tourists pose for picture at Canopy Walkway at Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden

Last year, Chiang Mai welcomed around 10 million tourists, 7 million of whom were locals and 3 million foreigners, Pakkanan said. Of the foreigners, 1 million were Chinese.

However the number of Chinese tourists dropped after the boat accident. As of November, tourist arrivals to Thailand had reached 34.43 million, up 7.53 per cent, generating an estimated Bt1.8 trillion in tourism revenue, up by 9.79 per cent, over the same period in 2017. China still led the list with the 10 millionth tourist arriving in the Kingdom last week.

Pakkanan said Chinese tourists have gradually started returning to Chiang Mai, thanks to new flights being added to the Beijing-Chiang Mai route, bringing the number of flights up to seven daily.

The TAT’s Beijing office reported that the trend of big tour groups has changed to small groups comprising six or seven travellers, she said.

“So, instead of mainly relying on Chinese tourists we have a mixed market,” the director said, suggesting that tour operators make adjustments and offer more tailor-made services to serve the changing behaviour of tourists.

The TAT has transformed its strategy by offering more digital information to facilitate the change in trends, she added. For instance, she said, individual travellers usually find information and routes by themselves through the Internet and decide where they should check in, so apart from distributing booklets, the Chiang Mai office is now also providing information via digital platforms and offering a QR code for people to download e-books.

 Pakkanan Winijchai

However, her office is facing challenges.

She said Thailand, as a popular destination, has seen an increasing number of repeat visitors, though the number of first-time visitors has dropped. The ratio of repeat tourists to first-timers stands at 70:30.

The challenge for her office now is to get more first-time visitors, she said.

But both types of visitors have pros and cons, she admitted.

Revisiting groups usually plan their own trips and do not need to rely on tour packages. They also tend to spend less, as they connect with locally based communities and eat local food. Still, she said, it’s good because they boost the income for the locals.

First-time visitors, on the other hand, tend to be big spenders as, never having visited the city before, they go to tourist attractions and dine at luxury restaurants, she said.

Pakkanan said there is an opportunity for Chiang Mai to overcome this challenge, as the city has been evolving, with more activities and new tourist attractions emerging all the time.

“Chiang Mai has become a major destination, because now there are direct flights from Europe to the city. So, we can promote it as a top destination, and design package tours for tourists to stay longer, or around four to five days, compared to the two days that people previously spent in Chiang Mai,” she said.

The TAT is also encouraging operators in Chiang Mai to design new routes and include new places following a government campaign to promote tourism in 55 secondary cities to boost local revenue. Those who spend on accommodation and food and drink at these secondary locations can claim tax deductions of up to Bt15,000.

Some Chiang Mai districts, including Chaiya Prakan, Fang and Mae Ai, have been categorised as second-tier cities.

“We are now promoting new routes combining Chiang Mai with second-tier cities such as Chaiya Prakan and Fang district as well as neighbouring provinces like Chiang Rai, Lampang and Lamphun,” Pakkanan said.

Tourists can depart from Chiang Mai, spend a night or two in the districts before heading to neighbouring provinces, she explained.

Pakkanan is also encouraging locals to visit the city during weekdays, so the city is not too overcrowded during the weekends. Those who opt for trips on working days will also receive benefits from the TAT and its partners.