Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor, Suraphon Svetasreni, continues to struggle with foreign tourist arrivals.  This is from an article in The Nation, More R&D spending key to moving up the rankings.

This is the first article I have seen that is tourism related, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand did not brag about how many bazillion tourists will come this year and next.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Koh Samet

The Governor of The Tourism Authority of Thailand spoke at a “Thailand Competitiveness” conference yesterday and what he had to say says a lot about the state of tourism in Thailand.

Tourism bodies need to focus on the concept of “easy and best” if the Kingdom is to remain a preferred destination, yesterday’s conference heard.

Thais already have the “easy” part down pat – it is the “best” part that they fail miserably at.

Suraphon Svetasreni, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said that although Thailand had become one of the most popular destinations in the region, tourism-related bodies still needed to improve some weak spots as well as improve products and offer best services to tourists.

This is like saying – “You are all doing a wonderful job, but here is where you can do better”.  Praise first, criticize later.

The TAT has urged the government to adjust regulations and visa requirements in order to attract more visitors, he said, adding that airlines should offer more seats during the high season while travel operators must offer the best services to tourists.

And what a wonderful job the Tourism Authority of Thailand has done!  Just this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has changed the rules for foreigners coming to the Kingdom of Thailand.  Now, in order to get a Tourist Visa, one has to provide proof that airline tickets have been purchased and also show where they have hotel reservations at in order to qualify for a visa.  Brilliant!

“The TAT and the private sector always work in the same direction, but we also need government support,” said Suraphon.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the private sector rarely speak with each other.  And, the “government support” that the TAT Governor is referring to is the request for an additional 3 BILLION baht for his 2012 budget.

The TAT has been branding Thailand as a global destination, along with tapping a new segment known as “RICHI”, which comprises the Russian, Indian, Chinese and Indonesian markets.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has not been branding Thailand as anything to the foreign market.  They have continued to make lame videos promoting the same old markets, elephants, and temples to an entire new class of foreign traveler – and it is not working despite what the Tourism Authority of Thailand says.

According to the agency, 30 per cent of repeat visitors come for the Kingdom’s beaches and other natural splendours. However, the country also offers products such as massage and medical services, the TAT chief said.

If the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Thailand tourism operators continue to let raw sewage pour onto beaches, those tourists will NOT return.  Oh, and those natural splendors – he must be referring to the bar girls and hookers in Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket.

Wilaiporn Liwgasemsan, director of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said many countries in Indo-China, the Middle East and Eastern Europe used tourism to drive their economies.

But, Thailand doesn’t any more.  Tourism used to account for a big chunk of Thailand’s GDP – but it continues to go down, down, down.

All these countries have developed many new attractions and also have many World Heritage sites that attract visitors from all over the world, but Thailand has fewer World Heritage attractions. Nonetheless, it is very strong in traditional ways of living and “Thainess”, she said.

Yep. Nothing new to see in Thailand.  I would also like this lady to define “Thainess”.  If she is referring to the unique culture, people and traditions of Thailand, then she is way off as these as slowly disappearing and rarely promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

She added that tourism bodies needed to develop and offer the best in both attractions and services in order to fend off challenges from other countries.

Too late. Thailand is already losing visitors to neighboring countries and will continue to lose more and more every year to its fellow ASEAN Community partners.

Wilaiporn said Thailand should consider further promoting niche products such as meetings, conferences and medical services, including surgery.

No one wants to go to a meeting or a conference in Bangkok.  And, yes, the Tourism Authority of Thailand should promote Thailand as a great place for medical tourism – but I have yet to see it.

Moreover, it is important for Thais in tourism-related sectors to improve their working efficiency, particularly in regard to foreign languages, she said.

There needs to be a dramatic increase in the English and Chinese languages from the folks in the tourism sector or their jobs will be lost to others once the ASEAN Economic Community goes into effect in 2015.

According to John Wagner, principal of the Boston Consulting Group, a new generation of tourists will seek specific offerings such as healthcare, which is becoming a premium product.

Ah, if only the Tourism Authority of Thailand knew how market a niche product to the foreign market.

They also need access to new media and other online services in their hotels. As well, they are concerned about the environment, and will take that into consideration before choosing their destination.

Internet infrastructure needs to be upgraded.  Free wireless should be available country wide. Thailand is only now upgrading to a 3G network for parts of the country while the rest of the world is on 4G and planning for 5G.

The company listed a number of factors that helped drive tourism. Human-resources development, community involvement, tourism infrastructure were among these.

All talk and no action is the theme here.  I see these same terms listed over and over again with little or nothing being done.

Another essential element is financing, including soft loans for green tourism and carbon credits in sponsored areas, as well as political support for enforcement of regulations on conservation areas.

You cannot change the mindset of an entire country who feel that any place outside of their own front door is a huge trash can and you cannot rely on political support from a corrupt government.

Prachum Chaiyawong, deputy vice president for marketing at the TCT, said one key issue to help increase tourism was internal stability. “Our tourism should grow significantly if there is no social conflict in the Kingdom.”

Once again, the TCT and the Tourism Authority of Thailand need to expand their focus and realize that outside events have an effect on tourism in Thailand – natural disasters, riots, economy, etc.  Yes, political peace and quiet in Thailand helps, but millions out of work globally doesn’t.

However, the industry will soon face a new problem from the increase of minimum wages, which will directly affect operators’ costs. The industry will also face a shortage of skilled labour for the many hotels under construction.

Yes, expect to see fewer staff since some will get fired when their bosses can no longer afford to pay them which will result in crappier service.  Skilled labor will be supplied by the ASEAN community taking more jobs away from Thailand.

The upcoming Asean Economic Community may also have a negative impact on Thais, as many foreigners will flock into Thailand to work. Therefore Thais should improve their competency with foreign languages to remain in the industry.

Thailand is years behind the power curve here and will feel the impact beginning in 2012 when investors are allowed to increase their investments in ASEAN countries from 49% to 70%.  Thailand will sit back, piss off foreign investors with stupid regulations, and then watch money flow into the other 9 ASEAN countries.

So, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand will see fewer and fewer tourists coming to Thailand and he will continue to report that the numbers of arrivals are up.

Tags: governor suraphon TAT tourism tourism authority of thailand