Seems like there is a weekly article both in The Nation and the Bangkok Post with the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) raising tourist arrival projections.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor now predicts that Thailand will have 18-18.3 million tourists arrive in Thailand in 2011.  Who is he kidding?

Tourism Authority of Thailand Cambodian Border

The Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor is also predicting 19.5 million tourists in 2012.  I am sure that this number will be bumped up to 20 million no matter what else is happening in the world.

Now, initially this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor predicted that Thailand would have 16.5 million tourist arrival (about 5 million more than MasterCard says will arrive here) and then they pulled that number back to 15.5 million – 16 million in the wake of the earthquakes in Australia and New Zealand, earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear plant meltdown in Japan, uprisings in the Middle East, current political situation in Thailand (elections and border dispute with Cambodia), and the world economy sucking as a whole.  This actually made sense to reduce the forecast.

But, now, the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor has raised the ante to not only return to the original forecast of 16.5 million (a bogus number anyhow), but says it will be 2 million above that.  Where are the people coming from?  Mars?

Japan is still recovering, there are still riots in the Middle East, everyone is waiting for the next red shirt/yellow shirt confrontation now that the elections are over, and the global economy still sucks.  Why does everyone take this man at his word?  Why doesn’t anyone challenge these ridiculous claims?

From the Bangkok Post, TAT sets ambitious visitor targets:

“The industry will grow about 9%,” said TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni, adding that by the end of this year the number of tourists to Thailand will be 18-18.3 million, up from the projection of 16.5 million at the beginning of the year.

The tourism industry is NOT growing – not in this economy.  If anything, it has shrunk by about 10%.  Go to Pattaya or Phuket and see how few tourists there are and how many businesses in the sector are up for sale.

So, how will Thailand attract foreigners?

The major factors would be more aggressive marketing campaigns via both traditional and online media such as promoting Thailand through social media, online games and online advertising via YouTube.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The Tourism Authority of Thailand does not have a clue on how to use Social Media like Facebook or Twitter – other than to steal photos and claim them as their own, post totally worthless comments, and ignore questions from foreigners.  Most of the TAT Facebook pages are all in the Thai language.

The games are geared at 5 year old’s – how this will get tourists is beyond me.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand official Youtube channel, Amazing Thailand, has a grand total of 346 subscribers – wow – gonna get a lot of tourists there.  There are other channels that take the Tourism Authority of Thailand videos and post them to their channel and have more viewers and subscribers.  Another Tourism Authority of Thailand FAIL.

“‘Amazing Thailand’ will still be our country brand for this year and the next because although we have internal problems, there are still a large number of tourists visiting the Kingdom,” he said, adding that the TAT would also add more meaning to the campaign and it will become ‘Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You’.

This slogan is about 13-14 years old and is totally lame.  Adding “Always Amazes You” to the end of it, does no good at all.  Find something new.

Marketing campaigns under the slogan will include promoting Thailand as an ‘Asia Ideal Family Holiday Destination’ for visitors from Europe, ‘Dream Destination’ for honeymoon couples, ‘World Class Golf Experiences’ for international golfers, international health and spa services for Asian markets as well as ‘Eco Tourism Destination’.

Gee.  None of this mentioned at all on the Amazing Thailand Facebook pages.  No videos up on Youtube targeting these niche markets.  And, calling Thailand an “Eco Tourism Destination” is a joke.  Thailand is Asia’s largest trash can.

For the domestic market, the TAT will focus more on family travel and green tourism as well as promoting travel as part of lifestyle.

The target is 93 million trips with a revenue of 453 billion baht in 2012.

Green tourism.  More buzz-words that mean nothing.  The Thai people know absolutely nothing about going green.  Unless it means throwing your green vegetable waste on the beaches.  This is all talk and no action and the only people that the Tourism Authority of Thailand will target are the Bangkokians.

I have said it before, and I will continue to say it.  The Tourism Authority of Thailand has absolutely no way of telling how many Thais take domestic holidays.  And, they have absolutely no way of telling how much they spend.  All numbers are pure fabrications.

So, more talk, a bunch of lies, and no action from the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Tags: arrivals domestic facebook foreigners lies marketing social media TAT tourism authority of thailand twitter youtube