In a move poised to supercharge tourism and turbo-boost foreign tourists’ spending in Thailand, Visa, the global champion of digital payments, in alliance with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), proudly introduced the “Visa Thailand Grand Sale” campaign. This fresh initiative aims to attract international visitors to Thailand while simultaneously amplifying expenditure at the country’s principal shopping hotspots, including King Power Duty-Free, Central department stores, The Mall Group department stores, and Gaysorn Village.
Reflecting their commitment to energizing tourism and expediting Thailand’s economic revival, the “Visa Thailand Grand Sale” represents another exciting joint venture between Visa and TAT. It evolves from a recently inked MOU, a decision forged to scrutinize data surrounding international tourist expenditure and to cultivate a strategy that lures high-spending, quality tourists in the long term.
Group Country Manager for Regional Southeast Asia at Visa, Serene Gay, emphasized the strength of the partnership between Visa and TAT. She stated, “Having fostered a robust partnership for well over two decades, we consider it an honour to continue backing TAT in drawing more international tourists to Thailand and revitalizing expenditure. Our anticipation is that this campaign will fulfill its role in quickening recovery in the tourism sector, thereby spawning fresh opportunities for cross-border trade and retail businesses in Thailand.”
Since the turn of the year, Thailand has already played host to over 10.6 million tourists, a staggering 713% increase in visitor numbers compared to the same period in 2022. The “Asia Pacific Destination Forecasts 2023-2025: Thailand” report, which PATA meticulously prepared for Visa, indicates that Thailand ranks amongst the top ten Asia Pacific destinations for global travellers. According to the forecast, the country’s tourism trajectory is set to escalate further, with a surge in visitors projected in Q3 2023.
The report also unveils optimistic news regarding Thailand’s retail tourism value, which is anticipated to revert to pre-pandemic figures by 2023, while the lodging and hotel sectors are expected to witness full recovery by 2024 in current price terms.
As part of the Visa Thailand Grand Sale campaign, international Visa cardholders will be showered with discount coupons and special offers at nine leading department stores across Thailand. These include King Power, Central Department Store, Siam Paragon, Emporium, EmQuartier, Icon Siam, Ratchaprasong, One Siam, and Jungceylon. The campaign offers enticing discounts on a minimum spend across these shopping outlets and is set to run until 31 August 2023.
In conclusion, the Visa Thailand Grand Sale campaign is expected to contribute significantly to Thailand’s tourism sector’s rapid recovery while offering international tourists a more enjoyable and affordable shopping experience. With its strategic incentives, it could indeed set a new benchmark in tourism-oriented campaigns.
Written by: Supaporn Pholrach (Joom)
