Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is participating in ITB Asia happening at Marina Bay Sands from 16 to 18 October 2019 and on the opening day welcomed its Governor, Mr Yuthasak Supasorn. The Governor attended the opening, toured the show and met with members of the media.

Asked what he attributes Thailand’s great success in attracting tourists to the country Governor Supasorn said it wasn’t just the work that TAT does that attracts visitors. “TAT just plays a small part. People come to Thailand because of Thai hospitality. Our people are warm and welcoming. We want people to come to our country and learn about our history, our culture and all the many good things we can offer to tourists who want to enjoy their holiday in Thailand. The Thai people are key to our success.”

Looking forward to the coming year Governor Supasorn said that in 2020 TAT will continue with its theme of Open to the New Shades. “We will focus on four segments,” he stated, “Health and Wellness, Sports tourism, Wedding and Honeymoons and Green Tourism.”

“We will continue to target the ASEAN markets,” added Deputy Governor Chattan Kunjara No Ayudhya. “They are very important to us, just as Singapore is. Last year we got 1 million visitors from Singapore and we hope to increase those numbers in 2019 and 2020. We can increase those numbers by appealing to more golfers and to millennials.

“We plan to do more consumer engagement and provide new products and new activities.”

Governor Supasorn spoke about programmes that were started in the past year, such as the effort to get more travellers to secondary destinations. “That has been quite successful,” he stated. “How well each city has done depends on their readiness. The cities need to improve their infrastructure, such as improving the capacity of their airports.”

Thailand partners with neighbouring countries Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos to attract visitors to the region. “That programme is on-going and will continue into 2020. It is important to work with our neighbours to the benefit of everyone.”

Now in its twelfth year, ITB Asia has continued to enjoy support from destinations and businesses from across the world, with over 1,300 exhibitors and more than 1,250 buyers welcomed at this year’s show. To accommodate its growth, ITB Asia 2019 has expanded its space and will now occupy two floors of the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.