Thailand to launch "ASEAN Connect" tourism

BANGKOK, February 17 (TNA) - The Thai government plans to launch "ASEAN Connect" tourism promotions later this year to take opportunities from growing tourism in the region. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who oversees economic affairs, announced the plan at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in Bangkok on Wednesday, noting that Thailand has performed well in terms of the number of international tourist arrivals and tourism-related revenues and now it is time for the country to make domestic tourism sustainable. Somkid elaborated that a key move to reach the goal is to promote tour routes connected to tourist destinations in neighbouring countries to benefit from rapidly growing tourism in the region, called the "ASEAN Connect" initiative, and to enable the ASEAN Community (AC) to compete with tourism in other regions. Somkid suggested that airlines, the state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and other relevant players jointly design regional tour routes and packages, initially targeting that the new tourism approach should be completely planned within the first half of this year or in April at the soonest. The deputy premier recommended that another way toward sustainable domestic tourism is to invite international visitors to experience Thai lifestyles and buy local products, while local administrative organizations should invest in promoting local attractions to woo more international tourists. Meanwhile, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn pointed out that possible regional tour routes, including those to Mandalay, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Udon Thani, Siem Reap, Yangon, Phuket, Can Tho, Samui and Sihanoukeville. assessing that such regional tour packages should become available in the second half of this year. (TNA)