Suvit Vanichprapa, senior vice president sales and marketing for Thailand's Imperial Hotels & Resorts, recently completed an Australia/New Zealand sales mission that focused on properties outside the violence-hit capital, Bangkok. The sales mission coincided with but was not part of a Thailand roadshow in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
What little interest there was in Bangkok dried up following the closure of the Australian, New Zealand and UK embassies amid escalating violence that has resulted in the deaths of 35 civilians and wounding of 230 others.
However, Imperial Hotels and Resorts has 22 properties under management in Thailand including Adamas Resort and Spa in Phuket. Suvit put his focus on Phuket which is a well-served southern gateway to Thailand. He also has been talking to Virgin about new programs using the airline.
Suvit's sales mission also included an unofficial investigation among Australian wholesalers and travel planners on what needs to be done to re-establish Thailand as a safe destination if promised elections by the Thailand prime minister in November see a return to a some sort of manageable peace.
"Thailand has the ability to bounce back very quickly from its political problems," said Suvit. "We had major problems in 2009, but the first three months of this year were very good for Thai hoteliers before the problems reignited."
Suvit, who also sits on the board of Thailand Incentive and Conventions Association (TICA), says he has gathered significant feedback during his tour of Australia and New Zealand to be useful to the TAT or other Thai tourism bodies.
He welcomed the addition of scheduled Virgin flights to Phuket and sees more direct flights as a way to quickly restore tourist numbers.
He cited the improved air access to Bali (now around eight flights a day from Perth alone) as the catalyst for growth and will urge TICA follow a similar course.
He also wants the Thai government to offer MICE groups some form of blanket insurance to cover them against costs incurred by the violence in Bangkok.
Suvit Vanichprapa, senior vice president sales and marketing for Thailand's Imperial Hotels & Resorts, recently completed an Australia/New Zealand sales mission that focused on properties outside the violence-hit capital, Bangkok. The sales mission coincided with but was not part of a Thailand roadshow in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
What little interest there was in Bangkok dried up following the closure of the Australian, New Zealand and UK embassies amid escalating violence that has resulted in the deaths of 35 civilians and wounding of 230 others.
However, Imperial Hotels and Resorts has 22 properties under management in Thailand including Adamas Resort and Spa in Phuket. Suvit put his focus on Phuket which is a well-served southern gateway to Thailand. He also has been talking to Virgin about new programs using the airline.
Suvit's sales mission also included an unofficial investigation among Australian wholesalers and travel planners on what needs to be done to re-establish Thailand as a safe destination if promised elections by the Thailand prime minister in November see a return to a some sort of manageable peace.
"Thailand has the ability to bounce back very quickly from its political problems," said Suvit. "We had major problems in 2009, but the first three months of this year were very good for Thai hoteliers before the problems reignited."
Suvit, who also sits on the board of Thailand Incentive and Conventions Association (TICA), says he has gathered significant feedback during his tour of Australia and New Zealand to be useful to the TAT or other Thai tourism bodies.
He welcomed the addition of scheduled Virgin flights to Phuket and sees more direct flights as a way to quickly restore tourist numbers.
He cited the improved air access to Bali (now around eight flights a day from Perth alone) as the catalyst for growth and will urge TICA follow a similar course.
He also wants the Thai government to offer MICE groups some form of blanket insurance to cover them against costs incurred by the violence in Bangkok.
