The Kaohsiung Tourism Promotion in Bangkok was a great success, paving the way for further visits to various tourism agencies in Thailand. This initiative strengthens the "Kaohsiung-Thailand" connection, adding new momentum to international tourism in the southern direction.
Kaohsiung International Tourism - Wonderful in Thailand! On October 31st, the Kaohsiung City Government's Tourism Bureau successfully organized a tourism marketing event in Bangkok, Thailand. With its diverse and abundant tourism resources, coupled with the first-ever "International Tourist Group Subsidy" program in Taiwan, it garnered high interest from Thai tourism industry players. Through media coverage and sharing, it ignited a Kaohsiung fever in Bangkok. Director-general of the Tourism Bureau, Ms. Kao Min-Ling, led a delegation to visit local travel agencies, tourism associations, airlines, and the Taiwanese representative office in Thailand. Notably, the delegation met with Quality Express and Formosa Journey Land, two of the top travel agencies in Thailand, and Thai Airways on the 30th. After the promotion event on the 31st, they proceeded to meet with the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) to discuss close cooperation in future tourism ventures. On November 1st, they continued their visits to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, China Airlines Thailand Branch, and the Taiwan-Thailand Business Association (TTBA), striving to create more opportunities to attract Thai tourists to Kaohsiung for travel.
Director-General Kao Min-Ling emphasized that according to statistics from the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation until September of this year, approximately 260,000 Thai tourists visited Taiwan, making Thailand one of the top four inbound countries in Southeast Asia. Thailand is a crucial overseas market for Kaohsiung, especially with direct flights from Xiaogang Airport taking only 3.5 hours, providing a convenient gateway for exploring the Thai tourism market, whether heading north or south. The promotional event in Bangkok successfully showcased Kaohsiung's tourism offerings, providing attractive new itineraries and highlighting the international tourist subsidy program. This encourages businesses to develop innovative Kaohsiung travel products. Additionally, through collaboration with local Thai media, the event generated significant attention and positive feedback from the Thai travel industry.
During the visit to Thailand, the delegation also held meetings with major tour operators, tourism associations, and airlines. Discussions focused on deepening cooperation between Taiwan and Thailand in areas such as "Kaohsiung-Bangkok Twin City Exchange," establishing sister city relationships, promoting overseas employee incentive travel, LGBTQ+ gender-friendly rainbow tourism, religious and cultural exchanges, media and influencer tours, sustainable tourism, cultural and creative industries, and signing memoranda of cooperation. The goal is to foster a fruitful partnership and anticipate a continuous increase in Thai visitors to Kaohsiung in the first quarter of the coming year.
Furthermore, Director-General Kao Min-Ling highlighted that beyond promoting international tourism in Bangkok, the Kaohsiung delegation visited several significant entities during their trip. On the 30th, they visited the headquarters of Thai Airways to discuss increasing bilateral flights and related marketing strategies. This initiative aims to enhance the convenience and options for travelers between the two locations, making it easier for Thai visitors to explore Kaohsiung. Wit Kitchathorn, the Global Business Head of Thai Airways, pledged to lead a team to Kaohsiung in early December. He mentioned the success of previous initiatives, such as the LGBTQ+ influencer tour, which included collaboration with BL drama promotions. He expressed strong confidence in the prospects of developing Kaohsiung's pink economy. Thai Airways is currently evaluating the possibility of extending routes from Kaohsiung to Tokyo and Osaka in Japan through transit, making it more convenient for travelers to visit Kaohsiung.
Following that, the delegation paid visits to two of Thailand's top travel agencies, Quality Express and Formosa Journey Land. The purpose was not only to gain insights into the bilateral tourism market between Taiwan and Thailand but also to encourage these travel agencies to actively promote Kaohsiung tourism, propelling the city into the Thai tourism market.
Mr. Hsu Pei-Shan, the General Manager of Quality Express, made special arrangements to set up a welcoming banner for Kaohsiung tourism teams on an outdoor billboard in the city center. He promised to ly organize teams to visit Kaohsiung, grasp the latest attractions and facilities, assess the tourism service capacity, and expedite the packaging and promotion of travel products in Southern Taiwan. Currently, the plan is to start with bilateral digital marketing collaborations.
Chairman Lin Jing-Song of Formosa Journey Land, another prominent Thai travel agency, expressed his sentiments, stating that the Kaohsiung City Government's Tourism Bureau was the first county or city government to officially visit since the company's establishment. As a son-in-law of Taiwan, he was deeply moved and willing to cooperate. Formosa Journey Land not only plans to prioritize developing the Southern Taiwan market through charter flights but also expressed a commitment to choose Kaohsiung as the top priority destination.
Following the promotional event on the 31st, Director-General Kao Min-Lin ly led the delegation to visit the Thailand Association of Travel Agents (TTAA), a heavyweight organization in the Thai outbound travel industry. Chairman Charoen Wangananont of TTAA expressed keen interest in the international group tour subsidy program launched by the Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau. He mentioned, "We will organize our members to visit Kaohsiung as soon as possible, conducting on-site inspections to get acquainted with the city. We also welcome members of the Kaohsiung delegation to participate in the Thai International Travel Fair in January next year, allowing more Thai travelers to experience the splendid charm of Kaohsiung tourism firsthand." Moreover, he responded positively to Director-General Kao Min-Lin's proposal for further collaboration and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Kaohsiung Tourism Association.
In addition, on November 1st, the Kaohsiung delegation also visited the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, hoping to leverage the office's marketing channels in Thailand to vigorously promote the international tourism image of Kaohsiung. Deputy Representative Hsueh Hsiu-mei and Deputy Representative Hsu Wei-min both expressed their gratitude, stating, "Thanks to the Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau for introducing new tourism resources to Thailand after the pandemic. The feedback from the industry is positive. In the future, we hope to focus on promoting cross-border exchanges in exhibitions, religious and cultural activities, educational tourism, smart cities, sports events, and inter-parliamentary activities to attract more Thai visitors to Kaohsiung. The Representative Office in Thailand will provide assistance in marketing and local connections."
Following the visit to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, the delegation visited the China Airlines Thailand Branch. General Manager Pan Yun-hao mentioned, "In response to the visa-free policy for Taiwanese travelers entering Thailand, we have immediately applied to the headquarters for an increase in the number of flights on the Thailand route. It is crucial to increase direct flights between Kaohsiung and Thailand, enhancing the convenience for travelers in both locations. The 'Kaohsiung Fun Pass' is particularly attractive to Thai independent travelers, aligning with their travel habits. After ing the increase in flights, we will invite influencers, Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), and Thai travel industry representatives to visit Kaohsiung and Southern Taiwan. We will collaborate with the Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau to promote international tourism in Kaohsiung."
Finally, the delegation visited the Joint Association of Taiwanese Businessmen in Thailand (TTBA). Chairman Chen Han-chuan explained, "The TTBA is the best-performing Taiwanese businessmen's association globally, with over 5,000 enterprises throughout Thailand. We will work together with Taiwanese businessmen to promote international tourism in Kaohsiung. Encouraging members to organize overseas employee incentive trips, large annual meetings, or product launches will make Kaohsiung the preferred choice for these activities.
The Tourism Bureau further explained that post-pandemic, Kaohsiung has been actively targeting the international tourism market. Following the organization of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion event in August, participation in the Singapore International Travel Fair, and visits to airlines advocating for resumptions and increased flights to tap into the Chinese and Muslim markets, China Airlines announced the resumption of the "Kaohsiung-Singapore" route with three flights per week starting from December 9. The efforts have already shown significant results. At the end of October and early November, the focus turned to the vibrant international tourism market in Thailand. A large-scale tourism promotion event was organized, aiming to leverage local media, outbound travel agencies, and airlines' resources and influence to attract more international tourists to visit Kaohsiung. This initiative aims to enhance the "Kaohsiung-Thailand" tourism connection, contributing to the development of a new momentum for international tourism in the southern direction. For more information on these activities, please visit the official website, Facebook, and Instagram pages of Kaohsiung Tourism.
