French seek a dose of reality

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BANGKOK, 31 March 2014: Tour operators interested in tapping travellers from France should add new features to freshen Thailand’s travel products.

TAT Paris office director, Areerat Chunprapanusorn, told Association of Thai Travel Agents members, last week, that they needed to deliver experiential travel that touches on genuine Thai ways and culture to tap the French market.

“Currently, French tourists favour travel to Myanmar, Laos and Sri Lanka as well as Vietnam because they believe they will see a more genuine authentic culture and travel products that reflect the people’s way of life than we are presenting in Thailand.”

The director advised: “We should tap first-time visitors by promoting an authentic product that show the country’s Buddhist thoughts, our natural resources and the Thai way of life.”

For return visitors activities such as cooking and spa classes and visits to festivals year-round should be promoted.

“They should be included in tourism programmes to add value and encourage visitors to touch the real Thailand,” she said.

Her comments reflect a growing concern that official promotions are geared to promoting imported brand shopping, mega shopping malls, extravagant spending on food and night club entertainment at the expense of presenting real Thai values.

Tourists spend on average US$150 a day in Bangkok, about the average living costs for one month for a family in a typical North or Northeast Village. Critics say the country’s tourism industry should be showing visitors an authentic Thai lifestyle and balance the drive to show off shopping malls and consumerism with some insights into genuine culture.

The TAT director called on tour operator to look at potential markets such as retired tourists, family travel, honeymoon and weddings.

“Tourism is one of the top five products that French people seek on the internet alongside electronic equipment, entertainment equipment, computers and sport materials.”

To tap the French market, the director called for  tighter security, higher  hotel standards and an increase number of French tourist guides.

Last year,  the French made 29 million trips overseas of which 11 million travelled to long-haul destinations. Thailand ranked fourth of the top five destinations following the United States, Mauritius Island and Dominican Republic while it was ahead of Mexico.

Asia continues to be popular with French tourists. In 2012, 576,106 French tourists travelled to Thailand ahead of China (524,800), India (240,674), Vietnam (219,721), Indonesia (178,888), Malaysia (136,172), Sri Lanka (56,863), Laos (46,903), and Myanmar (30,064).

First-time visitors accounted for 39% of all trips to Thailand and revisits were 61% in 2012. In addition,  576,106 of 89% was FITs and 11% travelled through travel agencies in 2012.

The top 10 destinations in Thailand for French tourists: Bangkok; Phuket; Chiang Mai; Krabi; Pattaya; Chiang Rai; Samui Island; Sukhothai; Phangan Island; and Phang Nga.

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