TAT to open more offices in Asia

Tourism Authority of Thailand gained approval, earlier this week, to open overseas offices in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Chengdu, China, using funds from the central government’s stimulus package.

The authority gained a green light from the TAT board, which approved the use of a Bt75 million budget for each office, (Bt30 million for office space and the balance for marketing activities). TAT has been given Bt715 million from the central government’s stimulus fund, set aside to revive tourism.

TAT had earlier proposed opening new offices during 2009 to 2010, but funding was in doubt until a global economic downturn seriously threatened the country’s tourism industry.

The focus is now on short-haul markets, a strategy that might prompt criticism from private tour companies that specialise in the US and European markets.

TAT announced it was ready to open offices, next year, in Kunming, China and in Mumbai, India.

East Asia region executive director, Sansern Ngaorangsi, said the new offices in Chengdu and Kunming would focus on promoting more inbound tourists from provinces in southern and southwest China by air and land transport, using the R3A highway through Laos.

Currently, TAT has two offices in China; one in Beijing and the other in Shanghai that opened last July. It has a single office in New Delhi in India When the Jakarta office opens it will take over the development of the Indonesian market from TAT’s Singapore office.

TAT also plans to add marketing representatives in overseas including Bangalore, India, and Vladivostok in Russia. It also plans to increase staff in offices in Frankfurt, Sydney and Paris.