Thailand’s Mega Fam Trip & Happiness Street Festival

Bangkok (Thailand) – July 25, 2014 – More than 900 travel media, bloggers, celebrities and travel industry executives from 47 countries and territories around the world are to be in Thailand in late July for one of the largest fam trips ever hosted by the Thai tourism industry as part of its post-crisis recovery campaign.

Called “Thailand’s Best Friends Forever Mega Fam Trip” (Thailand’s BFF), the event is designed to convey a powerful message that the Thai tourism industry is back to normal. The event has an equally potent purpose to help bring the smiles back to the faces of the Thai people after several months of uncertainty. It will also help dispel any lingering doubts about the return to normalcy, and restore visitors’ confidence in returning to Thailand for leisure, business and MICE events.

The fam-trip participants will be hosted to a vibrant welcome reception, which will be presided over by Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, Commander-in-Chief, Royal Thai Navy and Deputy Chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) who oversees the tourism industry.

After the reception at the Centara Grand Hotel at CentralWorld, where most of the fam-trip participants will be accommodated, participants will be able to immerse themselves in the festivities of the “Thailand Happiness Street Festival”, in which the primary business and shopping district of downtown Bangkok, is to be converted into a giant festival of happiness, joy, fun and Thai smiles over 25-26 July, 2014.

In an extravaganza never before held in Thailand, the entire Ratchaprasong area will come alive with colourful parades, great shopping, fashion shows, concerts and culinary delights from 15.00 hrs to midnight on both days. The theme “Thailand Happiness” will definitely display the true meaning of Thainess.

Participants will be divided into groups and offered a choice of destinations to visit across all of the five regions of Thailand, ranging from the exotic islands and beach resorts of the South to the emerging destinations bordering the neighbouring countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said, “This fam-trip will be a critical component of our recovery programme, especially for the second half of this year, when we have to double our efforts to bring visitors back.

“At our just concluded Marketing Action Plan meetings, we spent a lot of time analysing key trends and then identifying the appropriate fam-trip participants from priority markets which could generate the fastest turnarounds.”

He said that all possible media have been chosen, both conventional print and TV plus bloggers. Local celebrities have also been invited from a number of source markets to enhance the star power and viewership appeal.

Mr. Thawatchai said, “The Festival aims to effectively communicate a feeling that everything is back to normal and that the national atmosphere is back to its usual vibrant, fun-loving self. This will help restore visitors’ confidence and bring them back to the “Land of Smiles”.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to Thailand Best Friends Forever group for their cooperation and support to Thai tourism. We would also like to thank Thai Airways Public Co., Ltd., as well as all the public sector agencies and our private sector partner associations and companies for all the help and support they are providing to facilitate the success of what will clearly be a major event.”

Contact details:
International Public Relations Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
1600 New Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathevi
Bangkok 10400
Thailand
Tel: 66 (0) 2250 5500 ext.4545-4548
Fax: 66 (0) 2253 7419
Email: prdiv3@tat.or.th
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