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In the expectation that 28 million foreigners will visit Thailand next year, compared with 24 million this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is to recruit “quality customers” using the new social media. TAT says its aim is to make the kingdom a top-quality luxury destination for visitors from all continents.

Already a number of online campaigns – “Happiness You Can Share” and “Find Your Fabulous” – provide real experiences for travellers using mobile applications, portal sites and digital marketing. The Amazing Thailand website has more than 500,000 “likes” on Facebook and Twitter with a further 50,000 followers on Google+.

Four premium traveller groups are being targeted: medical tourists, honeymooners, eco-tourists and lovers of golf. Pattaya is one of the resorts being promoted, using the City Hall aim of creating Pattaya as a Thai Riviera destination by the end of the decade. TAT believes that the luxury-seeking groups will spend an average of 12,000 baht a day on a Thai holiday rather than the 3,000 baht which is said to be normal for the budget traveller, including his or her accommodation.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT marketing director, said, “We will also cooperate with the biggest Chinese search engine www.baidu.com to promote the tourist industry in Thailand. The number of Chinese visitors coming to Thailand is now almost equal to the total of Russians and is expected to leap into first place next year. South Korea and Germany provide the next biggest numbers. Britain, which used to be first in the list, has fallen way behind.”

Auttaphol Wannakij, director TAT’s Pattaya office, said that the occupancy rate of hotel rooms in Pattaya this month is at least 70 percent, compared with 40 percent three years ago. He said a minimum growth of 10 percent in Pattaya arrivals was anticipated this year, a total of nearly 7 million tourists altogether.

TAT believes that the online campaign will help decide world travellers to come to Thailand. The medical tourism market is particularly appealing to Middle East visitors, whilst weddings and honeymoons are especially popular with Indians.

Golfing holidays are booming amongst South Koreans, whilst the small eco-tourism market generally consists of Europeans and Americans visiting Koh Samui and other islands.

“We will utilize and apply information technology to promote Thailand in the second decade of the century,” Thapanee added. “Our online strategy will help us to know our customers and will enable us to ascertain the lifestyle of visitors at the digital cutting edge.” He stressed that TAT has more than 20 static and niche mobile applications to support mobile users.

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