The opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport is a major factor as the airport will accommodate more arrival flights as well as bring new airlines into the Kingdom.

According to deputy governor Pornsiri Manoharn, the TAT is trying to hit a target of 13.8 million international arrivals this year.

At a "Thailand Briefing" forum at the Thailand Travel Mart last week, she said the new marketing slogan "Thailand Unforgettable" would be a key component in the strategy to increase market share, boost tourism revenue earnings, and enhance Thailand's competitive edge.

This year, the TAT researched the Kingdom's competitive position and found that it featured amongst the top 10 global destinations in the holiday segments of beach holidays, family destination, nightlife and conventions.

Research by the Lonely Planet publishing company, popular among the younger generation, shows that Thailand is already the top-rated destination in terms of value and food. It has also been rated as having the "Most Exciting Outdoor Market".

Under the new slogan, marketing activities will seek to accentuate Thailand's key strengths as a destination: sun, sand and sea; modern and traditional; and shopping, dining and golfing.

Efforts will be directed at ensuring a good mix of source markets in terms of both customer segments and geographical distribution.

Markets targeted for intensive promotions are mainly in Europe (the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, France, Italy, Russia and Spain) and Northeast Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan).

Short-haul markets where people are travelling for shorter periods but more frequently include Malaysia and Singapore.

Five new tourism products and services have been identified to cater to the needs of specific market segments: Classic Destinations, Emerging Destinations, Sport Activities, Trendy Products, and Special Product of the Year.

In each segment, the following have been identified in a way that allows the key product highlights to be matched with the destinations that best offer them.

Classic Destinations are Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai, while Emerging Destinations are Koh Chang and Koh Lanta. Sport Activities include golfing, diving and yachting. Trendy Products are boutique hotels, spas and medical tourism

The Special Product of the Year is The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006, an international horticultural exposition to be held from November 1 to January 31 in Chiang Mai.

This will allow Thailand to better target the required market segments and also promote the geographical distribution of visitors nationwide so as to better distribute tourism earnings and prevent congestion at popular tourist spots.

Other strategies will be designed to build the Kingdom's image as a gateway to the Greater Mekong Sub-region, increase tourism revenue and make better use of technology, both as a means of marketing as well as a medium for getting updated customer feedback.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation