Thailand’s vibrant cultural events and festivals, including the Thailand Grand Prix, drive tourism growth and celebrate Thai heritage.
Events and festivals in Thailand are powerful representations of the kingdom’s cultural values and traditions, with most international performances looking to assimilate Thai heritage that appeals to both local and overseas audiences. In fact, most modern events are often iconic in ways that spotlight Thailand’s cultural brand.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) closed out 2023 with a flourish, highlighting its Thailand Winter Festival with five cultural activities and events, including a ‘Colorful Canals’ promotion for the full moon festival, Loy Krathong. The promotion also includes Vijit Chao Phraya 2023, Amazing Thailand Passport Privileges, Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2023, and Amazing Thailand Countdown 2024 to showcase Bangkok events and festivals that are imbued with Thai culture.
The Thailand Winter Festival presents the Thai identity through festivals, art, lights, music, and countdown celebrations throughout Bangkok’s famed Rattanakosin Island. The TAT sees this as an important step in promoting the country’s cultural capital in a more concrete way.
Most Thai events and festivals have taken place for centuries, with many originating from local traditions, folklore and the Thai way of life. Two internationally known tourist events that are steeped in Thai culture are Songkran (Thai New Year) and the Loy Krathong Festival.
Others include the World Wai Kru Muay Thai Ceremony held annually at the Ayutthaya Historical Park; Poi Sang Long Festival, an age-old ordination ceremony held in Mae Hong Son; and the famed Bun Bung Fai (Rocket) Festival – most popular in Thailand’s northeast provinces of Roi Et, Yasothon, and Kalasin.
In nearby Buriram province, a more recent addition to Thailand’s event calendar also looks to integrate elements of Thai culture. MotoGP’s Thailand Grand Prix offers another way to tap event tourism in Thailand to promote authentic cultural experiences native to the country’s vibrant northeast region to the world. With that in mind, race organizers chose ‘Hanuman‘, the monkey god from the Thai Ramayana, as the cultural ambassador and theme for the race.
Iko Putera, CEO of Transport, Traveloka, said, “We see the Thailand Grand Prix and event tourism as another important way to elevate the Thai travel industry. During the 2023 race, Traveloka saw an increased demand for both accommodation and flights into Bangkok and Buriram. Our internal data reported a twofold increase in hotel transactions during the race week, with a significant surge from October 27 to 28, 2023, and the majority of demand concentrated in the Buriram area, particularly Nang Rong District.”
In terms of flights, Traveloka also noted the positive trend during the period, which was dominated by domestic flights, with Buriram as one of the main destinations and Don Muang as the most popular point of origin. During the race week (27-29 October 2023), overall domestic flights to Bangkok increased with other top domestic destinations such as Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani, Hat Yai, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani.
The TAT continues to target emerging destinations like Buriram to harness Thailand’s culinary prowess. The organization launched a ‘Menu of New Experiences – Unforgettable Secondary Cities‘ joint promotion with the private sector that invites travelers to visit secondary cities like Buriram and experience the gastronomic power of regional Thai food.
Events have helped Thailand enjoy a robust tourism recovery during 2023, and the country aims to take it to the next level during 2024. The Thailand Grand Prix 2023 has shown to positively impact demand for accommodation and flights, while tourism-related businesses such as shops, local retailers, restaurants, and historical sites have also benefited from increased visits.
Traveloka works to stay ahead of market trends and customers’ preferences by providing easy and flexible travel options with a variety of payment methods. It helps the company build positive relationships with Thai tourism businesses that have benefited from the Thailand Grand Prix 2023 that was held just before the beginning of Thailand’s traditional high season.
“Traveloka engages with millions of travelers every day and can make a sizable contribution to Thailand’s travel industry by powering innovation. We believe in driving growth and creating jobs for local Thai businesses, especially in secondary destinations, offering travel activities that combine international events with the country’s rich cultural tourism and heritage,” added Iko.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
![[PR] PR_Ascott and Vimut Hospital_2024](https://www.traveldailynews.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PR-PR_Ascott-and-Vimut-Hospital_2024-400x265.jpg)
