TAT recruits Buakaw, Mario to give tourism promotion an extra dash of star appeal

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hosting an “Amazing Fight” event, inviting tourists interested in Thai kick-boxing to join Muay Thai activities in the Kingdom. 
With Muay Thai widely recognised internationally as a martial art, it has become increasingly well-known across Asia and Europe – and even in the US.
It is now one of the most popular sports, with Muay Thai boxing gyms and training-camp businesses flourishing all over the globe. 
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said yesterday that the agency had invited Buakaw, the most globally famous Thai fighter – known for his hard-hitting yet elegant fighting style that perfectly demonstrates the brutal beauty of Muay Thai – to make this national sport a major attraction for Thailand and the country’s tourism.
Tourists wanting to learn more about the art of Muay Thai will have the privilege of meeting and training with Buakaw, with four regions offering Muay Thai courses, he said.
Northern-style Muay Tha Sao kick-boxing is centred in Uttaradit province, while the Northeast has Muay Korat, centred in Nakhon Ratchasima, the Central region has Muay Lop Buri and southern-style Muay Chaiya is based in Surat Thani. 
Meanwhile, aside from boxing activity and in order to attract arrivals from other markets, the TAT recently organised a campaign called “Experience Thailand with Mario Maurer”, which was specifically aimed at younger visitors from around Asean. The authority organised a river cruise, which featured actor and model Mario along with his regional fans representing the countries of Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. 
The TAT believes the next generation of potential travellers is going to be predominantly young people, especially within Asia, and using a young star like Mario to promote Thailand in these new emerging tourism markets is therefore seen as the way forward, Yuthasak said.
The governor added that Chinese tourists had voted Krabi, Ko Samui, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket as their favourite destinations. 
The results emerged from the “Ctrip Best Tourist Destination of the Year Awards 2016”, in which more than 7 million Chinese travellers voted, making it the largest travel poll in mainland China.
China is Thailand’s biggest tourism market and the Ctrip awards show that the Kingdom appeals to all sorts of Chinese tourists, young and old, and from students to honeymooners and shopping lovers, he said. “Thailand can offer so much and Chinese tourists want to come back time after time to enjoy our unique Thai experiences and destinations. We look forward to seeing even more visitors from China in 2017,” he added.