A delegation from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently swept into South Africa with a clear goal in mind.
“We want to remind South Africa that Thailand is wonderful! South Africa is the gateway for the whole region (Southern Africa) to come to Thailand. We want South Africans to think again about Thailand. Thailand is much more than beautiful beaches,” said Titiporn Manenate, TAT Executive Director Americas, during a travel agent function held at the Saxon in Sandton.
The evening was arranged by Lesley Simpson of LSC PR & Marketing.
Manenate told Travel News that TAT loved to work with travel agents, with South African agents being no exception.
“Thailand has so much to offer, and for South African rand-spenders it offers good value for money. Also, South Africans now get up to 60 days to travel in Thailand visa-free.”
The culinary delights of Thailand are famous. “Many dishes, like Tom Yum Gung and Pad Thai are well known and very delicious, but there are so many other regional delicacies to be discovered,” she said.
Clients who are interested in Buddhism could well be interested in spending time in the northern areas where there were monasteries and retreats where guests could stay and access training by English-speaking monks in mind-body connection and techniques of meditation, said Manenate. Yoga retreats are also plentiful in the Chiang Mai area in the north.
Thai Boxing or Muay Thai is a discipline that has become very popular and there are studios and retreats across Thailand, including many in Bangkok, for enthusiasts of Muay Thai.
TAT is currently promoting the idea of meaningful journeys – this is the ‘soft power’ of Thailand, and in 2024 tourists are lapping up these opportunities.
Manenate said visitors wanted to immerse themselves in local communities, to learn more about the local culture and educate themselves. Some examples of this immersion are bathing elephants in Chiang Mai, sitting down to eat with a local family after participating in making the food, and taking a boat tour around a floating market in Bangkok.
What other new trends does TAT see? Groups are smaller than previously, and stays are overall longer. Also, said Manenate, tourists were happy to embrace the idea of slow travel, with longer stays in different areas.
