Pattaya —
Officials from Pattaya and Chiang Mai provinces met on January 27th to discuss ways to improve cross-province tourism via a campaign called “Chonburi Travel Roadshow to Chiang Mai.” The meeting was attended by representatives from both provinces’ tourism boards, as well as local business owners and government officials.
The meeting, which took place in Chiang Mai, aimed to identify areas of improvement between the two provinces and the possibility of cross-province tourism. The authorities discussed ways to attract more visitors from Chiang Mai, a mountainous province, to Pattaya, a seaside resort town, and how to create a seamless travel experience for those visiting both destinations.
The authorities also discussed the potential for collaboration between local businesses and tourism operators, which included transportation options between the two provinces, to make it easier for tourists to travel between the two destinations.
Suladda Srutilawan, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Chiang Mai, stated that Chiang Mai’s economy was expanding by 3.2% and could generate a revenue of 221.48 billion baht for the country in terms of domestic tourism.
“According to the TAT study, 42.43% of Chiang Mai residents prefer to travel across provinces, with the most popular destinations being Bangkok and Chonburi, ” said Sulada, “From this, we can see that a sea-related destination remains a popular spot.”
Domestic tourism in general in Thailand has become a larger priority since the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic when borders were largely closed foreign tourism reliant areas like Phuket and Pattaya were forced to rely on domestic tourism to sustain the local economy.
As a result, this saw an increasing number of events and festivals in Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Hua Hin focused on driving domestic travel. This strategy is set to continue for the future according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand while being counter balanced by returning international tourism.
Many businesses as a result in foreign tourism oriented enclaves adjusted their business strategy to provide more products and services that appeal to Thai tourists versus just foreign tourists. This includes things such as Instagram friendly spots and designs, expanded menus of Thai food offerings, Thai oriented music and entertainment, and more.
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