Pattaya —
The private tourism sector in Pattaya convened a workshop today, May 29th, to discuss ways to reposition the city as a comprehensive travel destination in an attempt to move beyond its current perception as a nightlife and entertainment hub.
The workshop brought together representatives from eight tourism associations and four tourism clubs, along with major tour operators within Pattaya City and Chonburi province. Government officials from the Chonburi Provincial Tourism and Sports Administration, Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization, Pattaya City, Pattaya Municipality, and U-Tapao Airport also attended the workshop.
Chonburi Tourism Federation President Mr. Thanet Supasahatsarungsi stated that Pattaya has significantly transformed from the past because the city now offers various attractions suitable for all types of visitors, including families.
The city also has a plenty of sports facilities, such as over 20 world-class golf courses located within a 30-kilometer radius. Additionally, Pattaya has upscale shopping malls, spas, and international restaurants. However, Mr. Thanet stated that it is unfortunate the city’s public image is still largely confined to its nightlife and entertainment scene.
To address this perception, Mr. Thanet stated that he decided to arrange this workshop to come up with new marketing strategies. The goal is to promote Pattaya’s and Chonburi’s other tourism offerings, such as the charms of visiting small towns and seeing traditional Thai life like Sri Racha, Bang Saen, and Phanat Nikhom.
Tourism officials also want to encourage people coming for nightlife that, according to them, activities like visiting temples and religious attractions, beaches, islands, traditional Thai cultural attractions, floating and traditional markets, and experiencing traditional Thai music and shows can be just as rewarding and exciting as nightlife and partying. Learning more about Thai culture, the Thai language, and Thai life should be a priority over nightlife, said tourism officials.
Ideas gathered from the workshop will be shared with government agencies so that Pattaya will hopefully be recognized by travelers for more than just its nightlife scene, Mr. Thanet concluded.
This comes after several recent viral events in Pattaya’s nightlife areas, such as this one involving tourists involved in an altercation with bar guards.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
