TAT’s ‘Open to the New Shades’ helps drive golf tourism growth around kingdom
Once again, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hosting golf tour operators and buyers from key international markets and presenting them with an outstanding opportunity to meet with suppliers and golf course owners from around the Kingdom.
Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications said, “Thailand excels at delivering a complete golf experience. Not only the diversity of courses and standardised amenities, but also unique local experiences makes Thailand competitive on both a regional and global level.”
Among the local experiences, Thai food is best loved by foreign travellers. This has resulted in promoting ‘Golf and Gastronomy’ after Thailand has seen its first Michelin Bangkok Guide and the upcoming Phuket and Phang-Nga version to be launched later this year.
Mr. Tanes added “The TGTM 2018 will strengthen the country’s position as the world’s leading golf destination. This will also enhance a new image of Phuket as a rising golf destination as well as the global sports destinations. In fact, Phuket has long catered to extensive range of sporting experiences; such as, surfing, marathon, triathlon, cycling, and so on, along with hosted various domestic and international competitions.”
At the golf trade event this time, the issue of sustainability and environment impact has also been addressed and put into action. All delegates have been encouraged to use a tumbler in order to decrease the use of plastic, glass and bottles.
Thai golf tourism has emerged as a promising segment in Thailand, bringing in a huge revenue to the country. In 2016, a total of around 400,000 serious players came to tee off in Thailand generating income of around 138.5 million USD (4.88 billion Baht). The average spending per person for golf is around 346 USD (12,215 Baht), which is ranked as the second highest of all travelling activities in Thailand.
More than 128 buyers from 30 countries have confirmed attendance to the TGTM 2018 with the majority coming from Asia (62 buyers) and the ASEAN region (35 buyers). Intra-regional markets continue to generate the largest percentage of inbound golf tourism arrivals to the country due to the proximity of Thailand and the kingdom’s excellent reputation for offering a truly world-class golf experience.
There are also expected to be 27 buyers attending from Europe and four from the USA. A total of 111 local sellers representing Thai golf courses, tour operators, hotels and travel agents are also planning to be on hand to sell their products and services. Plus, an additional 41 representatives from overseas media are invited to cover this event.