Chadchart plans festivals, activities every month to revive tourism in 'Venice of Thailand'

The governor informed the meeting that he planned to organise tourism festivals and activities every month throughout the year, with focus on promoting the unique characteristics of each of Bangkok’s 50 districts.

“For example, in October we will hold a traditional long-tail boat competition while inviting teams from neighbouring countries to add more variety and attract foreign visitors,” he said.

Others festivals and activities that will be brought back after years of Covid shutdowns include an open-air film festival, a floral festival, an arts and crafts fair, the Bangkok Marathon, and opening of tourist attractions along canals.

“As Bangkok has many canals and waterways, we are planning to promote the city as the Venice of Thailand to attract foreign tourists,” said Chadchart, adding that Bangkok will extend the popular Ong Ang Canal to connect with Bang Lamphu and Saen Saeb canals, creating the city’s longest canal-based tourism route.

Chadchart said Bangkok would need a rebranding to respond to the needs of modern tourists that have changed since the outbreak.

“We will also use different media to reach each segment of target groups, while promoting the image of Bangkok as a city of tourism, especially in terms of international standard infrastructure, safety and public transport,” he said.

Chadchart said that in the early phase the campaigns will largely focus on attracting domestic tourists and stimulate spending to help tourism entrepreneurs get back on their feet after the impact of Covid-19.

A later phase will place more emphasis on foreign tourists, especially from new markets such as India, he added.