Thailand seeks to lure foreign tourists in low season

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand plans to attract visitors from Europe and the Middle East during the low season between May and October, said Tanesuan Petsuwan, an official from Tourism Authority of Thailand who is in charge of these regions.

As such, Thai Airways will introduce ticket discounts for passengers from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Stockholm and Moscow to Bangkok, as part of a promotion campaign targeting those from the European cities.

Some Middle Eastern airlines, including Etihad, Emirates and Qatar, will join the off-season campaign.

Qatar Airways will open four weekly flights from Doha to Krabi – a southern coastal province of Thailand, and three weekly flights from Doha to Chiang Mai.

Travelers from the neighbouring Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are recommended to fly directly from their respective countries to Pattaya via U-tapao airport. The airport now welcomes an increasing number of Chinese tourists, as it is only 40 km away from Pattaya – their favourite seaside destination.

Tourism is considered a bright spot to push up Thailand’s growth, given a slowdown in local export. In the first quarter of this year, the country welcomed 9.03 million foreign arrivals, earning 455 billion THB (12.93 billion USD).-VNA