Steady prices for European visitors

European travel agents will not raise prices for packages to Thailand as their countries face economic problems in the coming year.

Simona Gennaro, assistant manager for the Far East planning department at Alpitour, said Thailand was a popular destination for Italians, especially beach resorts in Phuket. The Italian company plans to run daily charter flights carrying about 100 passengers via Blue Panorama Airlines from Rome via Bangkok to Phuket during coming high season, from December to April. 

The Italian agency expects to see 15-per-cent growth in tourist arrivals in Thailand this year. However, Gennaro said the coming year would be difficult because of the impact of the sovereign debt crisis in many European countries. Her company plans to add more charter flights to Thailand during the low season, offering new tourism products such as medical and beauty services and honeymoon packages.

She added that the company needed to maintain its prices for long-distance destinations like Thailand to secure business. It is also introducing Koh Samui as a new destination to lure customers, especially repeaters, who account for about 30-40 per cent of the total. Beatriz Ledesma, product manager of Latitudes, also said pricing strategy was the key for the Spanish travel agency next year. The travel industry expects to be hit by an economic slowdown next year, as customers are likely to shorten their trips. Latitudes will offer special services to maintain both revenue and length of stays, currently averaging about 10 days, in Thailand.

Tanes Petsuwan, director for Europe, Africa and the Middle East at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), expects 5-per-cent growth in revenue next year to Bt105 billion and 5.3 million visitors from these markets compared with last year’s Bt100 million with 5 million visitors. 

Tanes said visitors from the European market were important for the Kingdom, as they were often repeat customers. Under next year’s marketing plan, TAT is focusing on introducing new upscale products for high-spending visitors to boost tourism receipts. Such products include medical services, honeymoon travel, golf courses and green hotels and activities.

To increase awareness of these products, TAT yesterday held the “Thailand Go Green” seminar and business matching that gathered 25 European travel agents invited by TAT and 100 local travel agents and hotel representatives.