Contestants competing in the 2009 Miss Poland contest will gather in Pattaya and Phuket in October 2009 to participate in the “Polonia Preparation Camp” — a segment of the contest that features a special programme of extra-curricular activities organized in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and EXIM Tours, a travel wholesaler, and one of twelve Polish tour operators offering Thailand tourism products.

The hosting of the Miss Poland 2009 campaign in Pattaya and Phuket is in line with TAT’s destination marketing and tourism promotion strategies to further raise the visibility and awareness of Pattaya and Phuket as world-class travel and holiday destinations among the Polish travel audience, especially first-time visitors to Thailand.

TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing, Mr. Santichai Euachongprasit, had an opportunity to be interviewed together with Miss Poland 2008 on the “Pytanie na Sniadanie” Morning Show, a popular Polish television show, on 28 May, 2009. During their stay in Thailand, contestants will be presented with an opportunity to participate in various activities. These include learning Thai cooking, experiencing first-hand relaxing traditional spa treatments, and enjoying water sports.

Mr. Santichai said that “Pattaya and Phuket, as beach resort destinations, are both very well-known among European visitors. With the very significant growth potential of the tourism industry in Pattaya and Phuket, this helps to stimulate the Thai economy overall. We plan to continue our heavy and extensive promotion of these world-renowned seaside resort cities”.

From 1-14 October 2009, 24 contestants from the various cities in Poland, together with the members of the film crew, will arrive in Bangkok by charter flight from Warsaw. They will be in Pattaya and Phuket for the “Polonia Preparation Camp”. During their two-week stay, a TV programme will run a documentary about the beauty pageant with segments in Pattaya and Phuket to be telecast via the Miss Poland 2009 final contest on 24 October 2009. Given the broad spectrum of media channels covering the Miss Poland 2009 campaign in Phuket, TAT hopes that the extensive media coverage will inspire Polish travellers to choose Thailand as their next holiday destination.

For years, Poland has remained one of the most important Eastern European markets for Thailand’s travel industry, along with the Czech Republic and Hungary. The Polish travel and tourism industry has registered positive growth since 2006. This growth is largely attributed to Poland’s accession to the European Union (EU) in May 2004, which has paved the way for numerous positive social and economic developments. The ongoing social and economic integration of Poland into the EU results in the westernisation of Poland’s travel and tourism market as well as consumer habits and preferences, which in turn influences trends in outbound leisure travel and the choice of travel destinations.


In 2008, Polish visitor arrivals to Thailand totalled 27,800, representing an increase of 29.36 per cent. They had an average length of stay of 12 days, and average daily expenditure of 4,200 Baht or US$120 or 91 Euro (US$ 1 = 35 Baht, 1 Euro = 46 Baht) per person. This resulted in approximately 6.5 billion baht (equivalent to US$ 186 million or 141 million Euro) in tourism revenue and foreign exchange earnings for the Thai economy.

While first-time visitors from Poland opt for Pattaya as their first destination of choice, beach and island resorts in the Andaman region have proven to be a favourite with return visitors. Samui, Krabi and Koh Lanta are gaining popularity. There has also been a rapid increase in the number of Polish divers. Golfing in Thailand is also on the list of popular activities.

According to statistics from the Immigration Bureau, the number of tourist arrivals to Pattaya in 2007 is over 4.48 million people — an increase of 9.61 per cent from the previous year. On the other hand, Phuket welcomed over 3.28 million international tourists in 2007, an increase of 14 per cent from 2006.

Contact information:
International Public Relation Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48
Fax: +66 (0) 2253 7419
E-mail: prdiv3@tat.or.th
Web site: www.tatnews.org

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will be organising the Golf Travel Mart 2009, during 12 – 16 May, in Bangkok, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi, and Prachuap Khiri Khan.

The Golf Travel Mart 2009 is to be launched to promote golf tourism and to increase the number of visitors in this niche market. The objectives are to stimulate new promotional golf packages, and promote Thailand as a leading golf destination in the international market.




TAT in its 2009 Marketing Plan aims to shift its international market-base to quality tourists through niche market promotions; such as, golfing. It plans to turn Thailand into a “Golf Paradise” for international golfers which would increase the number of quality tourists, as well as increase spending in other sectors; such as, shopping, health and spa, which is suitable for golfers and their families.

The golf market is a market with high potential growth, as the number of golfers is increasing, particularly female and junior golfers. Thailand has great potential for the international golfing market due to its wide range of facilities that respond to demands compared to other countries in the region. These include over 200 golf courses, as well as many practice courses and golf academies for both adults and juniors that meet international standards throughout the country.

Destination diversity and the vast choice of golf courses located throughout the country are key factors attracting the large numbers of visitors coming to play golf in Thailand. From the beach resorts in the South, to the mountainous surroundings in the North, or the lively cities of Bangkok and Pattaya, there are golf courses to suit every preference. Combine this variety of quality golf with the excellent value for money, and visitors have the makings of a true golf lover’s dream come true. This has proven to be successful, as seen by the many golf travellers who now rank Thailand as the one of best top travel destinations in the world.

All of these make Thailand an attractive destination for golf tournaments; such as, the Royal Trophy and the Thailand Ladies’ Open (LPGA) which are world-renowned, and youth camps with young golfers participating from around the world. This has been evidenced by the World Golf Travel Agents Association recently awarding Thailand the ‘Best Up and Coming Destination’ for golf vacations. Thailand has hosted world-class golf tournaments attracting such players as Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, and Colin Montgomerie. Such courses as Blue Canyon in Phuket have played host to international tournaments together with the Thai Country Club and Alpine Golf Club in Bangkok during the last few years. The Thai Country Club will be hosting the high-profile Asian Volvo Masters for the next 3 years.

The selected international tour operators in the golf market, media persons, golf academies, and organizers from each TAT overseas office are invited to travel to Thailand. They will be participating in the Golf Travel Mart 2009 and testing some of the golf products on offer. The total number of participants will be 345 people, which includes 10 tour operators and 5 media, academies or organizers from each office. The targeted overseas markets include Japan, Korea, China, Australia, Scandinavia, the USA, and others.

Representatives from international tour operators and media participants are invited to participate in the Trade Meet at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on 14 May, 2009. An introductory seminar on golfing products in Thailand will be presented to the international golf tour operators and media. The product testing activities and welcome party will bring all participants to Pattaya, followed by a farewell party in Cha-am/Hua Hin during 12-13 and 15-16 May, 2009, respectively.

Contact information:
International Public Relation Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48
Fax: +66 (0) 2253 7419
E-mail: prdiv3@tat.or.th
Web site: www.tatnews.org