Etihad Airways and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have agreed to form a long-term strategic partnership to develop and promote quality tourism experiences in the Kingdom of Thailand for travellers 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: “Thailand is an important and valued market for Etihad and offers the ideal destination for travellers from the UAE and GCC. Etihad also offers convenient connectivity for holidaymakers visiting Thailand from across Europe too. Over the coming year, we look forward to connecting more travellers from across the world with Thailand as the tourism recovery accelerates.”
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said: “We expect this partnership to help strengthen the position of Thailand as a popular destination for Arab travellers from the gulf region.”
Thailand is Open
Thailand is now open to welcoming 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.
Tourism is Key
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.”
