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It is not a problem for the Japan National Tourism Organization to increase the number of Thai travellers to Japan, since the abolition of visa last year. The real challenge for Kazuhiro Ito, JNTO Executive Director in Bangkok, is to raise the quality of Thai travellers.
BANGKOK – The 15th edition of the TITF, Thailand travel fair organised by the Association of Thai Travel Agents looked almost like a Japanese travel fair as a third of the hall where countries are present was taken by representatives from provinces, cities and companies from Japan. The Japan corner was permanently crowded by visitors, not only looking at good deals but also eager to collect small Japanese presents. On Friday, a seminar and workshop was organised for travel agents to sell Japan with 50 representatives.
Thai are more than ever in love with the Empire of the Rising Sun, Especially following last year the lifting of visa requirements for Thai travellers to Japan; and also due to the multiplication of flights between both countries, particularly from budget carriers. Jetstar Asia also offers since the end of June a daily service to Fukuoka. By this September, both NokSCOOT and Thai AirAsia X will launch new daily frequencies to Tokyo and Osaka. And Thai AirAsia X is seriously considering the launching of another frequency to Sapporo due to the big popularity of Hokkaido.
“We are expecting to pass the mark of 600,000 Thai travellers, after 465,000 last year. We are very confident to achieve this result due to cheap fares thanks to the multiplication of low cost flights”, says Kazuhiro Ito.
Thai travellers favour above all trips to Tokyo with the island of Kyushu now taking over from Hokkaido. “The launch of Jetstar services to Fukuoka had a very positive impact on Thai demand for Kyushu Island as Thailand travellers want to know new areas in Japan”, adds Mr Ito.
Now the biggest challenge for JNTO will be to raise the quality of Thai travellers who have limited centres of interest when travelling. They are basically three to four activities that Thai like to do when visiting Japan: eating, buying small souvenirs, visiting a temple and going to see Japanese gardens and flowers. Other activities –particularly with a cultural background- are generally ignored…
“We are working on different strategies to diversify Thai tourists demand. We start to promote secondary destinations, in particular the Northwest coast which remains largely unknozn. Kyushu is of course another destination which gains more attention from travellers”, explains JNTO Bangkok Executive Director.
“We also want to promote more our festivals, such as Sapporo snow festival or the Tohoku San-Dai Matsuri festival in summer, which exorcises evil spirits through processions and illuminations. Another field where we want to push Thailand travel is MICE activities. We know that participants to MICE will then talk about their experience to people around them. They then will certainly look at enjoying again a high quality holiday when going to Japan”, adds Mr. Ito. A Japanese exhibitor feels however doubtful about the emergence of quality Thai travellers. “Tai travel like the way we used to 30 or 40 years ago. It will certainly change but it might take time before to see more sophisticated travellers”, estimates the Japanese exhibitor.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
