Royal plan to attract more tourists
The Tourism and Sports Ministry is planning to run a new tourism campaign, "Royal Initiative Discovery", as part of a plan to attract an additional 500,000 local and international visitors.
The ministry is also talking with the Agriculture Ministry to turn the three-month Royal Flora Ratchaphruek exposition into a permanent showcase to boost the number of tourists to Chiang Mai and its surrounding provinces.Tourism and Sports Minister Suvit Yodmani yesterday said the expo would be one of the new tourist attractions promoted under the new campaign in 2007. Opened at beginning of this month and scheduled to run until the end of January, the event is drawing both local and international tourists. "The government plans to celebrate the 80th birthday anniversary of His Majesty the King Bhumibol. So the Royal Initiative Discovery will be part of it," said Suvit. Pornsiri Manoharn, deputy Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor for domestic markets, said the agency would highlight 19 royal projects and planned to attract 100,000 foreigners and 400,000 Thais. Suvit said the TAT and the ministry were planning to tap new markets, particularly Eastern Europe, China, India and Russia. Government agencies also plan to boost health and medical trips for international tourists. The Office of Tourism Development will spend Bt178 million on new tourism-development projects, including 10 pilot tourist villages. Suchat Sritama, The Nation
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