BANGKOK: Thailand remained the top travel spot for India tourists last year with some 900,000 Indians arriving in the Southeast Asian country, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said in a statement. According to their figures, a record 917,832 Indians were received in 2011, a 16 percent jump over the 791,185 handled in 2010. In the first quarter of this year, 210,722 Indians traveled to the country, a 1.64 percent hike over the same period last year. Sethaphan Buddhani, director of the authority in Mumbai, said, “we have achieved this consistent growth due to our result-oriented marketing strategies that are matched with performance indicators. We are also grateful to the Indian travel trade, which has been actively supporting our initiatives through joint promotions that showcase Thailand as a value-for-money destination.” According to Buddhani, TAT's ongoing efforts to tap the Indian market include educating travel consultants, tour operators, wedding planners and media about new attractions and products, through various ground-based marketing activities incorporating workshops, seminars and educational tours. These activities are augmented by exhibitions, joint promotions, and mass communication through a range of outdoor, print, electronic and online media. Buddhani added that “we realized the need to tap niche segments as the Indian market has matured over a period of time. As a result, we now tap niche segments such as golf, luxury holidays, weddings, medical, and Bollywood tourism.”
