Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to form a long-term strategic partnership to develop and promote quality tourism experiences in the Kingdom of Thailand for travelers from the Gulf region.
Under the new agreement, the Abu Dhabi-based airline and TAT will put into effect a range of joint promotions to mutually increase tourism and visibility for Thailand through the Etihad Airways global network. The promotions will focus on niche tourism markets such as sport tourism, luxury tourism as well as health and wellness.
Amina Taher, Vice President Brand, Marketing and Sponsorship, Etihad Airways, said: “We’re pleased to continue our partnership with Tourism Authority Thailand to showcase this beautiful destination to the world. This is particularly important as the tourism industry recovers and Thailand develops its niche tourism offering. We’ve been working together for more than six years on joint marketing campaigns and we’ll continue to leverage our network to support this long-term strategic partnership.
“Thailand is an important and valued market for Etihad and offers the ideal destination for travelers from the UAE and GCC. Etihad also offers convenient connectivity for holiday makers visiting Thailand from across Europe too. Over the coming year, we look forward to connecting more travelers from across the world with Thailand as the tourism recovery accelerates.”
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said: “This Letter of Intent will pave the way for strategic tourism collaboration efforts between TAT and the Etihad Airways with an emphasis on revenue-generating quality tourists. We expect this partnership to help strengthen the position of Thailand as a popular destination for Arab travelers from the gulf region.”
Thailand is now open to welcome fully vaccinated foreign visitors from the approved 63 countries including UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait to enter the Kingdom without quarantine requirements from 1 November 2021. Next year 2022 will mark a new chapter for Thailand as it will be the year of “Visit Thailand 2022”. Throughout the year, travelers from around the world will be experiencing the “Amazing New Chapters” of Thailand which will highlight the abundance of tourism products and services in Thailand that will fulfil all travel expectations because from A to Z, Thailand has it all.
Tourism plays a pivotal role in Thailand’s national economic and social development. In 2019, Thailand welcomed more than 39 million visitors from overseas, including 702,000 visitors from the Middle East with more than 130,000 Emirati, maintaining the importance of UAE as the number one tourism source market from the gulf region.
Mr. Yuthasak said: “Tapping into Etihad’s extensive global network will give Tourism Authority of Thailand access to markets in regions that hold great potential for our unique tourism proposition. Through this partnership, our aim is to jointly put in place the best strategies and practices to increase Thailand’s marketing footprint and position it as an “Affordable Luxury Destination” which focuses on enhancing Thailand’s image as a unique leisure destination offering quality with value.”
