Tourism/Second-tier tourism province

Chatrudee Theparat

TAT will revise its domestic tourism plan to promote second-tier tourism provinces.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will revise its domestic tourism plan this year to promote the second tier-tourism provinces in a bid to boost income for provincial economy.

Somradee Chitchong, TAT’s deputy governor for domestic market, said the agency will revise its tourism plan to boost domestic tourism following the government’s policy to drive tourism to boost the Thai economy.

The revised plan is expected to be implemented between May to September after parliament passes the 2024 fiscal budget which is expected within this March.

The agency plans to launch jointly a promotional campaign with Air Asia and Agoda offering cheaper ticket prices and lodgings for travelling in the second-tier tourism provinces. Tourism package is also planned to launch between May to August, based on a group of second-tier tourism provinces such as a package tour to upper northern including Chiang Rai, Phrae, Nan, and Phayao.

The visitors at Kwan Phayao(Phayao Lake), a landmark of Phayao-one second-tier tourism province

For northeastern tourism, TAT will launch a joint campaign with Thai Airways International by taking off between April to June. Weekday travel packages during rainy season will also be launched in collaboration with the State Railway of Thailand.

In long term, the government needs to develop infrastructure for better logistics while the private sector needs to standardize lodgings because the study showed new generation wants better accommodation during their stay. Currently, she said some tourism provinces have many lodgings, but the lodging quality accounts for only 10% of the total.

For tourism scenario, the agency maintains its previous projection, with earning 1.12 trillion baht in tourism revenue from 185 million trips/head of domestic tourism this year. Their overage overnight stay is 2.3 days, while average spending per head is 4,000 baht.

Nongyao Netprasit, chairman of the Association of Northern Tourism Federation Chiang Rai Province

Nongyao Netprasit, chairman of the Association of Northern Tourism Federation Chiang Rai Province, said PM 2.5 in Chiang Rai in March took its toll on tourism. Clearly, its occupancy rate faced a drop to about 37.5% from normal 70-80%. At present, Chiang Rai has 18,000 rooms offered by 600 lodgings.

However, she expects the tourism climate in Chiang Rai will improve this April after the PM 2.5 problem starts to ease. Chiang Rai tourism enjoyed its growth last year, with 6.1 million visitors and 46 billion baht in tourism revenue, up from three million visitors in 2018 in the pre-Covid 19 era. Average spending was 8,200 baht per trip of Thai visitors and 11,000 baht per trip of foreign visitors.

To get more energetic tourism, the private sector has agreed that Chiang Rai should be promoted as a province of creativity, thanks to 4,000 artists living in Chiang Rai producing some famous works.

Also, the province promotes its soft power with a home of 35 hill tribes. The fashion show to promote clothes of tribes was recently organized which could generate 134 million baht revenue to the villagers and related parties. The annual Chiang Rai Flower Festival is also held in winter season between December and January, opening its door for 30-40 days to welcome visitors. Each year the Chiang Rai Local and International Food Festival is also launched. And this year, the event took place from 16 to 24 January at Tung and Khom Park.

She proposed the government to support the launch of additional flights from other provinces and neighboring countries. Currently there are only flights from Bangkok. Before the Covid pandemic, Chiang Rai had aviation routes to Hat Yai, Udon Thani, Hong Kong, Kunming and Chang’an.

“In addition, we would like to resume joining tourism operators in Udon Thani to offer religious routes because Chiang Rai and Udon Thani have many well-known monks.”