TTM 2014 TO FOCUS ON FACILITATING FULL RECOVERY
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Facilitating a complete recovery from the recent political unrest will be the primary focus of the Thailand Travel Mart (TTM+), to be held between 4-6 June, 2014, at the Exhibition Centre Hall, IMPACT Mueang Thong Thani. Thawatchai Arunyik, Governor, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said, “There is no doubt that small and medium sized companies were affected by the recent political crises, and it is important to help them protect jobs and revenue. We are now forging full-speed ahead with recovery plans. The TTM+ will be an ideal opportunity to bring business back for the rest of the year and help us meet our targets.”
During January and February 2014, Thailand received 4,494,168 international visitors. Now that the political situation has improved, TAT has opted to maintain the original 2014 target of 28.6 million international tourist arrivals, generating estimated foreign exchange revenue of 1.32 trillion Baht.
Designed to promote Thailand as a regional tourism hub, TTM+ 2014 expects to attract about 400 sellers and 400 buyers. In 2013, a total of 791 delegates attended the event (397 buyers and 394 sellers). Arunyik added, “The full impact of the political unrest on the various source markets is being analysed in detail, along with ongoing consultations with all our industry partners and stakeholders in both the public and private sectors on how best to design a productive and practical programme for TTM+.”
This year, four major products will be highlighted in a special pavilion; Ecotourism, Health and Wellness, Wedding and Honeymoon, and Experience Thainess. The nine business categories arranged for the event are Hotel/Resort, Tour Operator/Travel Agent, Entertainment, Transportation, Golf Course, Association, NTO, the Greater Mekong Subregion, and Other Travel Services.
Sethaphan Buddhani, Director, TAT Mumbai explained, “Indian travel agents will also derive great value from the products in the special pavilion as the Indian market matures and demands novel experiences –Our new tagline It Begins With The People is all about immersive experiences that focus on Thainess. Tourism experiences such as Muay Thai, culture and festivals that are reflective of Thainess can be explored by travel agents at the special pavilion.”