‘Sell premium’: Thailand discourages discounts, wants high value tourists

BANGKOK: Thailand’s hotels, businesses plus private hospitals should avoid offering big discount rates to lure travelers and focus instead on raising the particular country’s value being a premium travel location, government ministers said on Monday (Jul 4).

Thailand has obtained about 2 million foreign visitors within the first six months of the year, a steady resurrection after its travel and leisure industry almost flattened due to the pandemic and more than 18 months of complex and pricey entry requirements.

“We cannot let people come to Asia and say because it’s cheap, inch Deputy Prime Ressortchef (umgangssprachlich) Anutin Charnvirakul mentioned at an event with Bangkok’s main airport terminal to promote tourism.

“Instead they should say ‘because it works, they have reasonable’, that’s where we can increase value, ” he mentioned, echoing remarks by country’s tourism minister.

Anutin compared the approach to those of luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.

“Hold your ground. Market premium. The more costly, the more customers, ” he said. “Otherwise Louis Vuitton wouldn’t have any sales. inch

One of Asia’s most popular travel locations, Thailand welcomed track of nearly 40 mil visitors in pre-pandemic 2019, who spent 1 . 91 trillion baht (US$53. 53 billion), equivalent to 11 per cent of gross domestic product.

Arrivals slumped to 6. 7 mil the following year, and down to 428, 000 in 2021, in spite of calibrated moves to end quarantine requirements.

It is forecasting 10 million foreign arrivals in 2022.

Earlier this year, Thailand released a long-term visa for australia programme for wealthy foreigners and competent workers, sticking to the plan to lure high-spending visitors, despite major jobs and business losses in tourism during the pandemic.

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