Thailand eyes 1.05 million tourists from India in 2014

Tourism Authority of Thailand is targeting 1.05 million tourists from India this year as it undertakes new initiatives to promote the country as a favourite destination.
"We expect 1.05 million tourists from India to visit Thailand this year. In 2013, over 1 million tourists had visited the country," Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) New Delhi Director Runjuan Tongrut said.
She was speaking on the sidelines of road show 2014 organised by TAT here to showcase Thailand as an attractive tourist destination.
Explaining the significance of the Indian market, she said: "India is the sixth largest market for Thailand. On an average Indian tourists stay for seven days in Thailand and spends around Rs 10,000 per person per day."

Currently the tourists are a mix of leisure and business travellers with leisure contributing to more then 50 per cent of arrivals, Tongrut said.
Another segment which has been picking up is the wedding segment with many Indian deciding to tie the knot in the South East Asian nation.

"It is an interesting and important segment for us. Thailand is a popular wedding destination for Indians. Last year, over 200 weddings and celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries, and graduation parties took place there," she added.
When asked what she thought were the reasons for Thailand being a popular destination for Indians, Tongrut said: "Most important reason is the 'Thai hospitality', the other reason is that Thailand has attractions for every body."

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is holding road shows in New Delhi, Jaipur and Bhubaneswar to promote Thailand.
"There will be a B2B session held in each city, where Indian travel agents will get an opportunity to interact with the travel trade from Thailand one on one," Tongrut said.
Established in 1960, TAT has been responsible for promoting the country's tourism.