As Thailand continues to plot its Covid-19 recovery course, various models are being suggested for the safe return of tourism. According to officials from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the answer could be in golf. Combining high-end tourists with social distancing, self-contained travel, long-term stays and wider connections to business travel, Thailand’s golf industry could hold the key to a wider revival in the months ahead.
TAT has conducted a range of surveys in the last month, to assess Thailand’s readiness for reopening across multiple sectors, along with attempts to gauge foreign nationals’ willingness to travel. A recent study discovered both metrics showed the most promise in golf; 88% of golfers questioned said they are planning to travel abroad as soon as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
In providing reasons for choosing Thailand, many highlighted affordable luxury and value for money. The Kingdom was especially popular with golf tourists from India, where a massive 97% of those surveyed placed Thailand as their destination of choice for golfing holidays post-Covid-19. In addition to monetary value, Thailand’s close proximity to the subcontinent makes sporting breaks in the Land of Smiles an attractive proposition for many Indian golfers.
In response to the positive feedback from India’s golfers, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) New Delhi Office and Sports & Leisure Worldwide (SLW) are preparing a range of potential partnerships and promotions, designed to tap into this interest and create a mini-revival in Thailand’s tourism sector. “We conducted the survey to ascertain the impact of Covid-19 on Golf tourism to Thailand and were happy to see the enthusiasm to travel for golf amongst the Indian golfers,” explains Vachirachai Sirisumpan, director of TAT in New Delhi.
To incentivise early bookings, TAT has already launched a Thai Golf Passport in India; a loyalty programme that lets Indian golfers redeem points for products with more than two hundred leading brands when they book Thai holidays. This new, seamless golf holiday booking system offers a prototype that can be scaled out across other source destinations and sectors in the months ahead.
Thailand is home to more than 250 golf courses, located in beautiful locations throughout the country. The nature of golf tourism – which is predicated on outdoor activities in small groups and held in self-contained properties with high standards of hygiene and exclusivity – is well suited to a post-pandemic landscape. For Thailand, the sector offers a controlled and rewarding route back for international travel.
Panorama Destination Thailand offers a wide range of golfing packages, in some of Thailand’s most thrilling and luxurious locations. Featuring a range of expertly designed and carefully maintained courses, cutting-edge facilities and comprehensive hospitality packages, our golfing holidays combine premier international competitions, amateur events and private excursions. Whether you want to work on your game in quiet seclusion, see the pros in action or test your mettle against the very best, Panorama Destination has golfing holidays down to a tee.
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