TRAVELLING
Strong baht likely to spur foreign travel
By Suchat Sritama
The Nation 2011-08-02
More Thais are expected to travel overseas in the remaining months of this year to take advantage of the stronger baht.
World Planet International, a travel agency focusing on sports and events, predicts that more than 1,000 Thais will travel to Europe next year, mostly to England and Spain, to experience soccer fever. The key factor boosting outbound numbers is the appreciation of the baht against major currencies in Europe including the pound and euro.
Thai baht is now about 29.70 per US dollar.
Ticket prices for football matches have also not increased much because of the stagnant economy in the region.
Thai fans prefer to cheer for their favourite teams called the "Big Four" - Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
"Although the cost for sport packages is normally 15 per cent higher than for general packages, Thais still enjoy reasonable prices in visiting Europe," managing director Chatree Tangthienkul said yesterday.
As an authorised ticket agent for the Euro Cup and many other tournaments, the company expects to receive 290 customers from the Thai market this year and more than that next year.
The company also handles concerts and entertainment events abroad especially in South Korea and Japan.
It is now promoting Summer Sonic, a music festival to be held in Nagoya in southern Japan, Chatree said.
Charoen Wangananont, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, said the group is organising the Thai International Travel Fair from August 18-21 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.
Hundreds of travel operators, airlines and related business will be offering overseas packages at discounts of 10-50 per cent, which are expected to draw a lot more local people.
The association believes that Thais will return to Japan after shifting to other countries in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami in March.
Thais should also take holidays to me-dium- and long-haul destinations such as the Middle East and Europe.
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