Retail News CRM

Tag: travel

  • KKday Launches E-commerce Travel Platform in Thailand

    KKday Launches E-commerce Travel Platform in Thailand

    KKday, a leading E-commerce travel platform in Asia offering localized travel across the globe officially launched in Thailand today, bringing unique and authentic tour experiences abroad to Thai tourists looking to travel independently and explore other cities around the world through organized excursions.

    Established in 2014, KKday is a Taiwan-headquartered company offering over 6,000 experiences, in 25 different categories, in 174 cities and 54 countries worldwide.

    After recently launching in Singapore, the Thai branch of KKday will appeal to the growing number of FITs (Free Independent Travelers) in Thailand in search of fun activities and memorable sightseeing trips on holiday. Whilst FITs book their own flight and accommodation, they look to online travel experts with local knowledge to book unforgettable travel experiences that give them genuine insights into a destination; discovering local culture and heritage, hidden gems and off-the-beaten-track adventures and sampling incredible food and activities along the way.

    Ming Chen, CEO of KKday, who was at the launch in Bangkok, believes city break tours will appeal to the Thai market. “Thais are renowned for their warm welcome to tourists visiting their country and this openness extends to a genuine interest in other cultures and a love of travel. Asia is home to some spectacular cities and I envisage that KKday members in Thailand will want to soak up the atmosphere and truly experience city breaks in Taiwan, Korea and Japan which are all popular vacation destinations for Thais; exciting cities like Taipei, Seoul and Tokyo. I am pleased to be launching KKday in Thailand and with the huge growth of E-commerce within the country, an online travel experience platform fits perfectly with what the market wants and how consumers behave here.”

    Hassle-free and competitively priced, KKday is easy to browse, read reviews and book online; the ideal travel companion for the digital Y Generation of under 35s who are primarily booking with KKday. In 2017, the travel trend for Gen Y tourists is all about experiential vacations and immersive getaways rather than finding some far-flung undiscovered destination or simply ‘being’ a tourist abroad.

    Today’s travelers want get a more organically native feel for a place that is less ‘touristy’ and is far more interactive and experienced-based. KKday taps into this quest for localized, customized travel.

    The launch of KKday in Thailand is aimed at expanding the platform which already has a presence in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea and Singapore. A branch in Thailand will build on KKday’s already 7 million plus page views per month, Facebook fan base of over 600,000 and membership that exceeds 300,000. Promotions are also on the horizon with relationships being established with some big-name brands in Thailand too.

    Expansion is part of the future strategy of KKday with two rounds of funding in 2015 and 2016 totaling $11.5 million led by Singapore-based venture capitalists, Monk’s Hill Ventures and AppWorks, the largest start-up accelerator in Asia.

    In Thailand, KKday has partnered with DTAC Rewards, Eatigo, Tourkrub, Show DC (Lotte) and Nokscoot.

    Celebrating its debut in Thailand with an exciting campaign, #KKvacay rewards one lucky winner and a friend will win a holiday in either Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore or Taiwan!

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Garuda Indonesia Travel Fair 2017 Records IDR457 Tln in Transactions

    Garuda Indonesia Travel Fair 2017 Records IDR457 Tln in Transactions

    The first phase of Garuda Indonesia Travel Fair (GATF) 2017 which is held on March 10-12, 2017 in 24 cities generates positive results by achieving a total transaction amounting to IDR457 billion, surpassing the target set at IDR380 billion. The largest revenue contributors come from the city of Jakarta, Lombok and Denpasar.

    VP Corporate Communications of Garuda Indonesia Tbk (GIAA), Benny S Butarbutar, in remarks, Monday (3/13/2017), said successful implementation of the GATF 2017 phase-1 shows public enthusiasm in traveling needs at an affordable price is still very high.

    “In addition, successful implementation of the ninth GATF is certainly not without the support and hard work of all fellow employees of Garuda Indonesia Group. We wished that the implementation of the next 2017 GATF will be more successful,” he added.

    The cities which become favorite destinations for visitors are Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul for international routes; for domestic destination are Bali, Jogjakarta, Surabaya and Lombok.

    Implementation of GATF in Jakarta this time also showed an increase, reaching 74 thousand visitors, compared to the same period last year of 60 thousand visitors.

    Sporting the theme ‘Digital Experience’, Garuda Indonesia in 2017 GATF Phase 1 introduced LINE ID ‘Official Garuda Indonesia’, which is the only LINE ID for Indonesian airlines at this time.

    “By adding official account of Garuda Indonesia in LINE, users of Garuda Indonesia’s services can enjoy various promotional programs from Garuda Indonesia throughout the year,” he said.

  • How Indonesia Increases Number of Tourists from Scandinavian Countries

    How Indonesia Increases Number of Tourists from Scandinavian Countries

    The Indonesian Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, participated in the Danish Travel Show 2017 in Herning city, Denmark, from Feb 24 to 26, 2017.

    A statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Copenhagen received by Antara here on Monday stated that Indonesia’s participation in the Travel Show is part of its efforts to promote the country in non-traditional markets, which is expected to increase the number of tourists from Denmark and other Scandinavian countries to Indonesia.

    Currently, the number of Danish tourists visiting Indonesia is about 30 thousand. Meanwhile, about 120 thousand people from Northern Europe visit Bali, Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara), Java, and Sumatra.

    At the exhibition, the Indonesian Embassy promoted Indonesian dishes that have been widely known in the world, such as fried rice (nasi goreng), fried noodles, rendang (spicy beef made using various spices, including coconut milk), and Indonesian coffee. The embassy also presented several Indonesian chefs to demonstrate the cooking to a number of businessmen and importers, who are engaged in business in Denmark.

    The involvement of businesses in the travel show is expected to improve business-to-businesses deals, increase travel packages sales, and expand the network of cooperation between Indonesian and Danish businessmen.

    Danish Travel Show is the largest annual travel exhibition in Northern Europe participated by about 1 thousand participants from 42 countries and attended by more than 65 thousand visitors from Denmark and other European countries. In 2016, the event was attended by some 4 thousand tourism businessmen, 1,196 exhibitors from 51 countries, 11 airlines, and 80 travel agencies.

    Lees ook:

  • Asia’s middle classes fuelling global cruise travel, says SCC

    Asia’s middle classes fuelling global cruise travel, says SCC

    Cruise travel worldwide will continue to grow at a ‘steady pace’ this year trumpeted by rising demand from Asia’s burgeoning middle classes and broadened vessel offerings, according to Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC).

    Christina Siaw, CEO of SCC, which manages and operates three ferry terminals and one international cruise terminal in Singapore, says: “We are particularly excited about the Chinese, Indian, South East Asian and Australian source markets, which have seen a surge of interest in recent years.”

    Last year, SCC’s HarbourFront Cruise and Ferry Terminal received 283 ship calls and handled more than 600,000 cruise passengers – a rise of 8% on 2015.

    It is set to welcome six new vessels in 2017, Pacific Dawn, Seabourn Encore, Pacific Pearl, Pacific Aria and AIDAblu.

    An estimated 25.3m passengers are expected to sail in 2017, up approximately +4.5% year-on-year, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) data indicates.

    In 2014, Australia broke the 1m passenger mark, while China’s market share accounted for roughly 986,000 of the 23m total market as demand for cruise travel in Asia continues to grow rapidly.

    Overall, cruising has increased by roughly 60% in the past decade, CLIA data suggests.

    DFS CONCESSION TO BEGIN IN APRIL

    As reported, DFS secured the master duty free and general merchandise concession to operate duty free stores at SCC’s HarbourFront and Tanah Ferry Terminals for the next five years, including a two-year optional extension clause.

    The contract covers a reconfigured main space at the arrivals and departure areas of the terminals, where the area is being expanded to cover around 6,000sq ft.

    SCC is consolidating several separate duty free concessions into one contract, with DFS currently operating departure transit and arrivals transit stores alongside Ocean Duty Free outlets, operated by Heinemann Asia Pacific.

    “DFS Group will deliver a seamless, one-stop and engaging shopping experience across seven outlets at SCC’s terminals for travellers visiting and departing from Singapore by sea,” Siaw updated.

    “SCC is working closely with DFS to execute their business proposal and we look forward to showcasing the fantastic new retail experiences at our terminals as soon as possible.”

    Lees ook:

  • Travel agents issue official letter to boycott Garuda

    Travel agents issue official letter to boycott Garuda

    Following up on their recent statement, the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agents (ASITA) officially boycotted through a circulating letter national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia over the decision to reduce commissions for travel agents.

    The letter, signed by ASITA chairman Asnawi Bahar, noted that Garuda Indonesia had not responded to the association.

    “During the period to resolve the problem with Garuda Indonesia, ASITA Indonesia has decided that all ASITA members are prohibited from participating in any activities involving Garuda Indonesia,” the letter stated.

    Previously, Asnawi said that the airline’s commission from ticket sales would be cut from 7 percent to 5 percent for international flights and 5 percent to 3 percent for domestic flights.

    Garuda Indonesia vice president of corporate communications Benny S. Butarbutar also previously confirmed that the airline would reduce commissions for travel agents.

    “We are adjusting the business pattern with our partners, travel agents. The business situation is changing really fast, with online travel being much stronger, but we will also want to keep traditional travel agents,” he said.

    Benny added that the decision might be temporary, as it would depend on the market situation. He declined to comment on the protest.

    ASITA currently has around 6,300 members of tour and travel agencies across Indonesia, including Panorama Tours Indonesia–a core unit of Panorama Group, Indonesia’s largest integrated travel group.

    Lees ook:

  • AirAsia X plans to lease two used 777-300ERs for London Gatwick summer 2017

    AirAsia X plans to lease two used 777-300ERs for London Gatwick summer 2017

    Malaysian long haul low cost airline AirAsia X is planning to dry lease two 777-300ERs from 2Q2017 to support the resumption of services to London Gatwick in Jun-2017. Its joint venture airline in Thailand is also aiming to launch long haul services to Europe in summer 2017 with a new route to Frankfurt, using the group’s existing A330-300ceo fleet.

    The lease of second hand 777-300ERs enables AirAsia X to accelerate the relaunch of flights between its main home market of Malaysia and Europe. Previously AirAsia X was intending to wait for the delivery of the A330-900neo to resume long haul flights, which it last operated in 2012 with inefficient A340-300s.

    The group was initially aiming to start operating A330-900neos from 2018, but first delivery has been delayed to early 2019. Short term leases on two 777-300ERs therefore give AirAsia X at least an 18 month jump on resuming London – a strategically important market.

    However, the 777-300ERs come with high risks and costs, particularly given the current market conditions and the relatively low density full service airline configuration that AirAsia X inherits with the aircraft.

    Lees ook:

  • Capacity and demand grows on Asia routes from Spain

    Capacity and demand grows on Asia routes from Spain

    International outbound flights from Spain were up by 2.7% last year with the biggest increase seen from countries in Asia Pacific; a trend that looks like it will continue in 2017, says travel analyst ForwardKeys.

    Passengers to Asia Pacific destinations were up by 15.7% on the previous year with many countries seeing double-digit growth, including China (up 13%), Japan (+16%), India (+17%) and Vietnam (+32%). This is clearly good news for the dominant travel retailer at Spanish airports, Dufry (World Duty Free). 

    Much of the increase can be attributed to certain airlines dramatically increasing their capacity to the region (up 38%) in 2016.

    “The growth in capacity is partly due to the Chinese seeing Spain as a safe and attractive destination and as a result creating capacity on return flights, creating the opportunity for Spanish consumers to travel on new direct routes to Asia,” says the travel analyst.

    Growth started in the second half of last year helped by Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong – Madrid), Iberia (connecting Madrid with Shanghai and Tokyo) and China Eastern (Madrid –Shanghai). However, it is important to note that Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways dropped routes.

    Lees ook:

  • Travel with AirAsia for Rs 99

    Travel with AirAsia for Rs 99

    Budget carrier AirAsia India on Saturday announced special low fares one way to select destinations across its network in the country.

    “Starting at Rs 99 one-way, the special fares can be booked between January 16 and January 22 for travelling from May 1 to February 6, 2018,” said the airline in a statement.

    The airline operates services to 11 destinations — Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jaipur, Kochi, New Delhi, Pune and Vizag, with Bengaluru and New Delhi as its hubs.

    It has a fleet of eight Airbus A320 aircraft.

    The carrier’s parent company AirAsia is also offering promotional fares to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Bangkok in Thailand from India on its Southeast Asia network, with one-way tickets priced at Rs 999.

    “The travel period for overseas destinations is from January 16 to July 31, and tickets can be booked between January 16 and January 22,” said the statement.

    The three-year-old low-cost airline is a joint venture between Tata Sons Ltd and AirAsia Berhad, with each holding 49 per cent equity stake, while its Chairman S Ramadorai and Director R Venkataraman hold 0.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent shareholding respectively.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Saigon-Hanoi ranks 7th among world’s busiest air routes

    Saigon-Hanoi ranks 7th among world’s busiest air routes

    The country’s aviation market is growing at the third fastest pace in Asia-Pacific as air travel has become more affordable. About 4.1 million passengers are estimated to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi this year, putting the route among the world’s most busiest, according to the U.K.-based air travel company OAG.

    Latest data from the company showed that the northbound route came in at the seventh place in the list of global busiest air routes, up five spots from a year ago.

    The route accounts for about 35 percent of the country’s air traffic, with up to 700 daily flights carrying passengers.

    Huge numbers of passengers traveling between the two largest cities have also strained Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

    Lai Xuan Thanh, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, said that there were times dozens of flights had to fly around, waiting for 15-60 minutes before they could land.

    The airport is expected to handle 31 million passengers this year, far beyond its maximum capacity of 25 million.

    Thanh said that the situation is likely to worsen in the next four years as domestic carriers plan to expand to meet the local travel boom.

    National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, low-cost Jetstar Pacific and VietJet Air, and newly-founded Vietstar had raised the total number of airplanes to 141 by the end of the third quarter, up 50 percent against five years ago.

    They are planning to expand their fleets to a combined 263 aircraft by 2020. Vietstar has not been licensed to fly.

    To handle the problem of overcrowded airports, authorities are considering increasing the number of night flights and putting a cap on the number of new planes local airlines can buy.

    Vietnam’s aviation market is growing at the third fastest pace in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the aviation administration.

    It is estimated that the number of passengers, including international ones, in 2016 will jump by 29 percent to hit about 52.2 million.

  • Asian pax growth of 3.2% at Changi lifts November traffic

    Asian pax growth of 3.2% at Changi lifts November traffic

    Singapore Changi Airport has reported 4.78m passenger movements for November 2016, representing a +3.2% rise on November 2015, while total passenger traffic handled during the first 11 months of 2016 increased by +5.7% to 53m.

    During the same two periods, cargo shipments grew by +6.1% to 1.79m tonnes and aircraft movements rose by +4.1% to 328,520 landings and take offs, while in the first 11 months cargo grew +7.9% to 173,170 tons and take offs and landings by +3.4% to 29,710.

    The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore stated: “Passenger traffic for the month of November was supported by growth in air travel to and from South-east Asia, North-east Asia and South Asia.

    STRONG GROWTH TREND TO SOUTHEAST ASIAN CITIES

    “Among Changi’s top 10 country markets, China (+13.7%), Vietnam (+9.9%) and India (+9.8%) led the gainers. As for Changi’s top 10 cities, strong traffic growth was observed between Singapore and Southeast Asian cities, such as Kuala Lumpur, Denpasar, and Ho Chi Minh City.”

    The CAAS also pointed to new services to India, with Air India Express launching four weekly services to Kolkata on 20 November, and Jet Airways starting daily services to Bangalore on 14 December.

    SilkAir also has launched four weekly services to Fuzhou in China, while Xiamen Airlines increased the frequency of its Singapore-Xiamen services from 14 weekly flights to 17 from 18 November. In addition, Myanmar National Airlines also raised its number of flights to Yangon from seven to 12 weekly services from 1 December.
    <
    NEW TERMINAL 3 RETAIL OUTLET ‘DEBUT’

    Meanwhile, between 16 November to 18 December 2016, CAAS added that the sole new store opening in Terminal 3’s Basement 2 over the period was by Etoz, which it describes as a manufacturer and retailer ‘of quality home and bedding products’, which has made its airport store debut at Changi.

    In addition, a ‘Teahouse by Soup Restaurant’ offering a variety of ‘unique’ Nanyang Dim Sum has also opened in the Terminal 1 public area.

    Changi Airport management said that as of 1 December 2016, more than 100 airlines were operating at Changi Airport, flying to around 380 cities in 90 countries and territories worldwide.

  • Vietjet offers tickets at VNĐ5,000

    Vietjet offers tickets at VNĐ5,000

    Vietjet will sell five million air tickets at only VNĐ5,000 (20 cents) per ticket from December 28, 2016 to February 28, 2017, as part of its fifth anniversary celebrations.

    The carrier’s “Win a 1-kg gold airplane, Fly to a happy future” promotions offers super-cheap airfares on www.vietjetair.com between noon and 2pm. Passengers who book tickets within the promotional period have the chance to take part in a lucky draw for 3.75-gram gold bullion prize every week and a 1-kg gold airplane.

    The discounted fares apply for all domestic routes and international services between Việt Nam and Hong Kong, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, Seoul, Busan, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon and Siem Reap.

    All passengers flying from December 28, 2016 to February 28, 2017 will also get the chance to win free return air tickets every day onboard Vietjet flights.

    The airline is also planning a series of other promotional activities such as photo ops with bikini models and surprise performances at several domestic and international airports.

    Lees ook:

  • PAL to launch international, domestic flights at Clark

    PAL to launch international, domestic flights at Clark

    Philippine Airlines (PAL) is launching on Dec. 16 its first regular international and domestic flights from Clark International Airport (CIA).

    This is PAL’s response to President Duterte’s call to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) .

    Clark International Airport Corp. president Alexander Cauguiran said PAL president Jaime Bautista gave him the green light to announce that PAL is launching on Dec. 16 its first Clark-Caticlan daily flights.

    PAL will add more flights starting January 2017, including daily flights to Cebu, flights to Davao four times a week, weekly flights to Busuanga and flights to Cagayan de Oro thrice a week.

    PAL will also launch daily international flights to Incheon, South Korea in January 2017. Cauguiran said that PAL would have a total of 21 flights per week at ClA.

    Cebu Pacific Air earlier announced the increase of its flights at CIA, including flights to Hong Kong three to 10 times per week starting in December and Clark-Cebu flights six times per week.

    In a forum held here by the Bases Conversion Development Authority, Cauguiran warned that flight congestion at the NAIA has endangered passenger safety.

    “NAIA has four terminals designed for 13 million people per year. But last year, it processed 36 million passengers already, so long lines of waiting people often occurred,” he said.

    Cauguiran also noted that NAIA’s lone runway allows only 40 flights per movement or one hour for every 40 flights. “Beyond that, you are inviting trouble” because this requirement has often compelled incoming aircraft to stay in the air longer than scheduled before being allowed to land.

    Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director general Jim Sydiongco said the Legazpi, Dumaguete, Roxas and Caticlan airports could also now accommodate flights in the evening as such are night-rated.

    Direct flights to Mindoro Occidental

    Meanwhile, budget carrier Air Juan has launched direct flights between Manila and Mamburao, Mindoro Occidental’s capital.

    The province’s representative, former governor Josephine Sato, said yesterday the air service would “be a big boost to our efforts to promote Mindoro Occidental as a prime eco-tourism destination.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Cebu Pacific looking into Hawaii, Melbourne flights

    Cebu Pacific looking into Hawaii, Melbourne flights

    Cebu Pacific may offer additional flights to Australia and the United States as part of efforts to expand its international network, its chief executive officer said.

    The Gokongwei-led carrier earlier said it expects its long-haul business to post a profit, driven by new flight services and increased frequencies in its existing international routes.

    “We are still considering… looking at Hawaii and Melbourne,” Cebu Air, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Lance Y. Gokongwei told reporters at the sidelines of a recent event when asked for the low-cost airline’s next planned long-haul route after its maiden Guam flight last March.

    Mr. Gokongwei, however, noted that there are “no firm dates” yet for the said flights.

    Cebu Air currently operates across 36 local and 30 international destinations with a fleet of 58 aircraft. It operates from six hubs: Manila, Cebu, Clark, Kalibo, Iloilo, and Davao.

    Asked whether Cebu Pacific would also consider mounting flights to Europe, Mr. Gokongwei: “I think we would consider it, but right now, we don’t have any immediate plans at this point but it’s something we should be considering as we get additional long-haul aircraft into the system.”

    “Frankly, I don’t see it happening from a Cebu Pacific perspective for 2 or 3 years,” he added.

    Mr. Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific expects to ferry 19 million passengers this year, a record passenger volume, driven by the airline’s low-cost long-haul services and increased frequencies in key domestic markets from 18.4 million passengers in 2015 and also up from the 16.9 million passengers flown in 2014.

    As of the nine months ended September, Cebu Pacific said passenger traffic was up 6% to 14.48 million, as capacity inched up by 0.4%.

    Cebu Air, operator of budget airline Cebu Pacific Air, saw its profit double in the first nine months of the year to P7.1 billion from P3.56 billion a year ago, led by strong passenger volume, higher ticket prices and lower fuel costs during the period, it told the stock exchange in its quarterly report.

    Demand remained strong during the nine-month period as Cebu Air reported its total revenue hit P46.69 billion, up 10.5%. Passenger revenue rose 10.1% to P35.36 billion while ancillary revenue — from non-ticket revenues such as baggage fees and onboard meals — was up 14.9% to P8.79 billion.

    Shares in Cebu Air closed at P97.80 apiece on Friday down P3.90 or 3.83% from its previous finish of P101.70.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Garuda Indonesia now flies from Surabaya to Medina

    Garuda Indonesia now flies from Surabaya to Medina

    Garuda Indonesia has opened a new route to connect Surabaya in East Java to Medina in Saudi Arabia in a bid to expand its flight network in the Middle East and tap into the potential umroh (minor haj) market.

    Introduced on Tuesday at Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport, the all economy class flight will be available once a week on Tuesday using Airbus A330-300 that can accommodate 360 passengers.

    “Hopefully we can provide ease and comfort to East Javanese residents and others who are traveling on a pilgrimage since this direct flight will help save time and money,” said Garuda Indonesia Cargo Director Sigit Muhartono in a press release.

    The national flag carrier currently operates two direct international routes from Surabaya, to Singapore and Jeddah.

    Following the opening of the Surabaya-Medina route, Garuda Indonesia now operates a total of 34 flights to the Middle East from major cities in Indonesia.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Thailand tourism breaks records and welcomes 30 millionth visitor to the kingdom

    Thailand tourism breaks records and welcomes 30 millionth visitor to the kingdom

    Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said, “This has been an amazing year for tourism in amazing Thailand as shown by the huge numbers of visitors. We have reached 30 million and the high season has only just kicked off. We know that more people will be coming to enjoy the cool weather and holiday festivities. Thailand has so much to offer the world and we know that the Thai people make every visitor feel as welcome as we made Ms. Huang Junyi feel today.”

    Ms. Huang Junyi receives a certificate naming her as “Thailand’s Luckiest Visitor – The Amazing, Smashing Success” from Mr. Yuthsak Supasorn, TAT Governor

    Ms. Huang Junyi,“Thailand’s Luckiest Visitor – The Amazing, Smashing Success”, was greeted at Suvarnabhumi Airport with a fantastic welcoming ceremony co-hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thai Airways International and True Corporation.

    Ms. Huang’s prize will be two economy-class return tickets to Thailand from her original destination, which are valid for a year. She will also be given a voucher for a five-night stay in one of Thailand’s luxury hotels in Bangkok, Pattaya or Hua Hin as well as a mobile phone with a 4G sim card and seven days of Internet usage and a certificate naming her as “Thailand’s Luckiest Visitor – The Amazing, Smashing Success” so that she can remember this day forever. The lucky 30 millionth visitor was also given an exclusive limousine transfer from the Airport to her accommodation in Bangkok.

    This is the second time that Ms. Huang Junyi has travelled to Thailand. During this trip, she will be spending 10 days in Bangkok and Pattaya.

    The “Thailand’s Luckiest Visitor” campaign was launched in 2015 to welcome and reward every millionth visitor to Thailand from June to December. The campaign was a great success and garnered interest from the public and media organisations across the world, boosting Thailand’s tourism sector and brand image. It has been brought back in 2016 to welcome the 30th and 31st million visitors and will continue till the end of 2016.

    In 2016, Thailand is projecting total international tourism revenue of 1.62 trillion Baht (USD 46 billion), representing a year-on-year increase of 11.68% over 2015.

    To boost tourism numbers, various initiatives have been put in place to encourage tourists to visit and spend. This includes the waiver of tourist visa fees for visitors from 19 countries from 1 December, 2016, to 28 February, 2017, and the price of visas issued on arrival will be halved. To encourage more domestic travel, a long New Year holiday of four days including 31 December, 2016, and 1 to 3 January, 2017, has been confirmed.