TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently conducted the Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Showcase 2017 in Bangkok. The event, attended by over 130 participants, was meant to encourage Thailand’s health tourism sector demonstrate its potential and place the service providers on a global platform.
SHEHARA RIZLY
Pataraporn Sithivanich, Executive Director – Europe, Africa and Middle East Region, TAT
We have a variety of products for health and wellness in Thailand that can give unparalleled rejuvenation to the body, mind and soul. This is why, throughout this annual event, we focus on the growth of health tourism sector in our country. This is the fourth year of this event and it gave an opportunity to bring over 123 buyers and media from 30 countries with 44 sellers from Thailand to meet under one roof. Middle East is a very important market for us. We work with a lot of airlines from the Middle East as their connectivity is well received.
Nithee Seeprae, Executive Director – Product Promotion Department, TAT
The entire purpose behind organising this health and wellness showcase is to promote Thailand as a hub for medical and wellness tourism. Thailand has the potential to serve all kinds of wellness tourists, be it those who would like to get medical checkup done or beauty surgery or just rejuvenate themselves. The Middle East is one of the most lucrative markets for Thailand, because a lot of tourists love to come to Thailand for our health and wellness services, besides our hotels, shopping arenas and natural attractions. Compared to last year, the number of medical tourists to Thailand has increased by around 10 per cent from this region.
Wantanee Kaewmeesaeng, Manager – Royal Orchid Plus, Marketing Department, Thai Airways
We carry out many campaigns in collaboration with TAT to promote the destination’s health and wellness tourism sector, and invite our partners from the trade to get the benefits offered in these campaigns. This opens many new markets for our professionals from this sector and helps the country to grow. Also, Thai Airways has introduced a loyalty programme for its members in order to promote the destination as a wellness tourism hub. We have a number of flights from the Middle East as there are a lot of travellers from the region who come in here.
Homa Souratian, Managing Director – Global Sandhills Tourism, UAE
Thailand offers some of the best wellness and medical treatments available in this region. Their unique regeneration surgeries using new techniques was very interesting and the number of hospitals and companies attending this event was amazing. Coming from the UAE, I can see many opportunities for our clients to indulge in the treatments available in Thailand at a competitive rates, Arabic speaking environment, state-of-the-art facilities and levels of safety.
Reem Al Daghma, General Manager, Gate to Wellness
It was a great opportunity for us to get introduced to different medical centres in Bangkok specifically and from different parts of Thailand. I like the idea that they took us to visit some clinics. To go there and see them made a huge difference. The B2B time allocated was better and because we were given more time. Usually, you just get time to meet and greet but here we had 10 minutes and it’s a very good way to give you an idea of what’s happening and decide.
Syed Mohamed Aslam BDM, Travel Point/Travel City, LLC of MediCare Tourism
As a buyer we got a lot of time to speak with the sellers. There were many clinics and hospitals at the event with a few spas. TAT is really encouraging medical and wellness tourism in the country. For me, medical tourism isn’t a business, it’s a service. I have to ensure the client gets good quality treatment, good value for money and time spent on the process of the treatment. You need to prove to the person who is going to sell to the market.
