Bangkok, 09 March , 2015 - The
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched yet another remarkable
online contest designed to further grow exposure of the kingdom’s
“Thainess” niche-market products across the global social media
networks. Participants are eligible to win a FREE one-month stay in
Thailand as well as a range of FREE short-stay holidays, including a top
prize of a luxury package.
on-Thai travellers
from around the world as well as Thai citizens are invited to sign up
for the “One and Only” contest, which was unveiled on 23 February, 2015,
at a launching ceremony presided over by H.E. Mrs. Kobkarn
Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports and Mr. Thawatchai
Arunyik, Governor of TAT. For foreigners, the applications are open from
now until 30 April, 2015 while Thai people can join this campaign starting in May, 2015.
Minister Kobkarn said,
“The Royal Thai Government has declared 2015 as the year to “Discover
Thainess”, which is in line with our national agenda to promote
sustainability and accelerate economic and social development under the
Royal philosophy of promoting a sufficiency economy. I would like to
invite all social media users all over the world to participate
enthusiastically in this unique contest which has been specially
designed for them.”
Governor Thawatchai
added, “We believe this innovative and creative campaign will generate a
positive buzz on social media networks all over the world, and give
further prominence to our key niche-market focus on “Thainess”.
The contest is
sponsored by Thai Airways International, The Peninsula Bangkok,
Sukhothai Heritage Resort, The Raya Surawong-Bangkok, Sri Panwa Phuket,
De Naga Chiang Mai, The AETAS Bangkok, Wanaburee Resort Khao Lak,
Paradise Beach Resort Samui, Chatrium Residence Bangkok, Chatrium Hotel
Riverside Bangkok, Palm Beach Resort Phuket, Emporium Suites by Chatrium
Bangkok, Maitria Hotel Sukhumvit 18, and Thavorn Beach Village and Spa
Phuket.
In a nutshell, visitors can choose an activity from five options under the “Discover Thainess” theme: Muay Thai, traditional Thai dancing, Thai cooking, making Thai-style floral garlands, and speaking Thai.
The “Discover Thainess’ website will upload a video clip for each
activity to be used as a guideline for making their own video.
Visitors can film
themselves enjoying the same activity, submit the clip to the contest,
and get a chance to be a part of this unique and culturally rich
experience.
The eligibility rules
cover non-Thai citizens aged 20-45, either living in Thailand or abroad.
All must be social media savvy, using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Google+, Pinterest, Wechat or Weibo on a regular basis. The 3 selected
teams must be able to stay in Thailand for 1 month.
In recent years, TAT
has developed aggressive online and digital marketing strategies to
promote tourism via all forms of new media and across all devices; such
as, mobile phones, smart phones, and tablets. These have been designed
to reach specific target audiences worldwide, especially young
travellers and families.
Social media networks
are playing an increasingly important role in the tourism sector. The
Internet has changed consumer behaviour in many ways, both in terms of
the way people buy their travel products, the destinations they choose,
the amount of time they have to travel, and the amount of money they
spend.
People are eager to
share experiences via social media, making it the equivalent of
word-of-mouth marketing, the most powerful means of personalised
publicity for any destination.
Participants can check out full details of the contest, including eligibility, rules, regulations, procedures and prizes here: www.tourismthailand.org/
