The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Klook, Asia’s leading platform for experiences and travel services, signed a Letter of Intent of Strategic Partnership to enhance collaborations on the development and promotion of quality tourism experiences in Thailand.
TAT Governor, Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, said “The time could not have been better for TAT and Klook to support each other in promoting Thailand as a top tourist destination. We have set our goals to collaborate and create comprehensive joint marketing with Klook to promote quality tourism experiences in the kingdom for the ASEAN, South Asia, and South Pacific Market. Our country is well-recognised as a friendly destination with rich tourism resources that can definitely serve the needs and demands of these markets.”
“We are excited to team up with TAT to enrich tourism in Thailand with a diverse range of meaningful and exclusive experiences that best reflect the destination, from iconic activities to hidden gems,” said Eric Gnock Fah, COO & Co-Founder, Klook. “At the same time, we want to help boost income to local communities and strengthen Thailand’s sustainability profile, stimulating economic growth across the wider industry.”
Under the agreement, TAT and Klook have agreed to enhance collaborations on increasing awareness and raising travel demand to Thailand, leveraging Thai soft power to promote meaningful travel experiences in key and secondary cities, strengthening efforts on the promotion of sustainable and community tourism, and adopting digital transformation to help drive Thai tourism industry.
Creating a New World of Five Must-Do Experiences in Thailand
According to Klook’s Travel Pulse survey, the majority of travellers are becoming more intentional in prioritizing experiences as the focal point of their trip. In fact, travellers today are seeking exciting and different ways to experience destinations across local cuisine, rich culture, iconic sights and attractions, and mega-events.
In Thailand, Klook currently offers close to 1,700 experiences and more than 10,000 packages and this number is set to increase by 20% this year. This will include curated experiences in line with Thailand’s five must-do’s, for example; tickets to exhilarating Muay Thai matches in Bangkok and Siam Songkran Music Festival 2024 for those looking to soak in the festive spirit of Songkran and local culture. More recently, Klook launched an exclusive experience featuring local Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Jeh-O and iconic Chao Phraya cruise to allow travellers to savour the famous ‘Jeh-O Mama Tomyum’ while cruising along the Chao Phraya River and taking in the backdrop of the city’s skyline.
Furthermore, the collaboration will enable Klook and TAT to work closely together to forge partnerships with Thailand’s major ticketed festivals to offer an integrated booking experience that transcends traditional event ticketing. This extends to seamless bookings for an extensive range of in-destination services across accommodation, curated experiences and local attractions to ensure travellers have access to a comprehensive itinerary at their fingertips. Collaborating closely with TAT, Klook is committed to showcasing the best of Thailand’s cultural tapestry and hospitality to a global audience. By leveraging technology and local expertise, Klook is poised to diversify and elevate the global traveller experience in Thailand with major festivals.
Empowering Local Communities Through Digitalization
Klook has been working with TAT to spotlight hidden gems and lesser-known authentic Thai experiences by empowering small-medium operators with the tools to digitize their business and expand their reach to Klook’s global user base.
Among the new experiences that Klook will be offering in 2024 in Thailand, about 80% will be supplied by local small and medium-sized operators with the goal of uplifting local communities, distributing income and promoting more sustainable travel.
One local community key to Thailand’s tourism ecosystem are elephant sanctuaries, and Klook has been investing in improving elephant welfare camps, educating travellers to make informed decisions when booking activities and ensuring that they are not supporting poor animal welfare practices. The partnership will see Klook close to double the number of sustainable and responsible tour operators that not only celebrates local culture but empowers local communities to benefit from tourism through new partnerships and product offerings.
Positioning Thailand as a top destination for quality tourist
As a top tourist destination, Thailand has sustained tourism recovery with a 44% growth in foreign tourist arrivals over the past year and is set to welcome even more tourists this year. In parallel, Klook expects to double the number of bookings for tourism packages in Thailand last year to at least 2 million this year.
Klook’s latest Travel Pulse survey reveals that travellers are looking to increase their overall travel budgets in 2024 by up to 50%, with 3 in 5 willing to allocate half of their travel budgets on experiences. With travellers chasing unique events, Klook observes that more than 40% are keen to visit a destination for specific events including splurging on once-in-a-lifetime events like the Olympics, music festivals and concerts, and cultural celebrations like Songkran.
Looking ahead, TAT and Klook will continue to position Thailand as a choice destination for quality tourists with elevated spending power and who are keen to experience Thailand authentically, meaningfully and responsibly.
About TAT
Tourism Authority of Thailand is Thailand national tourism board with an objective to promote Thailand’s tourism industry through marketing and communication to expand high-value market base, along with restoring confidence in travel to Thailand and delivering high quality tourism experiences.
About Klook
Klook is Asia’s leading platform for experiences and travel services. We curate quality experiences ranging from attractions and tours to local transport and experiential stays, in over 2,700 destinations globally. Founded in 2014, we are here to inspire and enable more moments of joy for travelers anytime, anywhere. (TAT)
