Thailand becoming popular in the Middle East market
More than 100 delegates from 13 Middle Eastern countries attended the third Arab World Travel and Tourism Exchange at the Biel Centre in Beirut "under extremely difficult conditions", as Lebanese Tourism Minister Joseph Sarkis put it.
He was referring to the assassination of Lebanese leader Rafiq Hariri in a bomb-blast last year that dealt a severe blow to tourism in the stunning city often referred to as the Paris of the East.But just as Thailand has recovered from the tsunami, Lebanon is getting back on track. Hotels devastated by the bomb blast, like the Phoenicia Intercontinental and Palm Beach, have not only been refurbished: their occupancy rates are 80 per cent. At least 30 new hotels are scheduled to open next year, and there is a drive to draw tourists from new markets, including the rest of Asia. "We look forward to welcoming Thai tourists," said the manager of the small but vibrant Sea Rock Hotel, which is well known for its popular Blue Elephant Thai restaurant. One of the country's best-known tour-operators, Nakhal, is planning special packages for Asian tourists that will combine tours of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, one the region's most popular destinations. In fact, tourist arrivals in Jordan rose 50 per cent from 2004 to last year. Maher al-Qaruoti of the Jordanian Tourism Board said Royal Jordanian Airlines' connections to Bangkok took many tourists to Thailand and he hoped more Thais would visit Jordan. "We plan to have new promotions in Asia, and also ease the visa process for Asian visitors," he said. Middle East Airlines, based in Lebanon, said that since 9/11 it had replaced the fall in European tourists with visitors from other countries in the Middle East and was now targeting the rest of Asia. Turkish Airlines, which flies to Europe from Bangkok, hopes to carry more Thai passengers after it buys 15 Airbuses next year. Qatar Airlines, which offers the best routes to the Middle East from Thailand, said Bangkok could become the top destination for the region's travellers. It was surprising, however, that the Tourism Authority of Thailand was absent from the travel fair considering the popularity of Bangkok with Middle Eastern travellers. Malaysia was the only Far Eastern country present at the fair. It attracted 127,000 Middle Eastern tourists last year, who spent on average about US$1,500 (Bt59,000) each. The travel fair drew plenty of representatives from Africa, who said they were vying for the Middle Eastern and other Asian markets. Algeria and Tunisia said they were planning major promotions in Asia. Azeb Teffera, a representative of Ethiopian Airlines, said Thailand was quite popular with African travellers, especially those involved in the garment trade. Lekha J ShankarSpecial to The Nation Beirut
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