THE TOUGHEST JOB IN THE WORLD
Do you fancy a challenge?
Media is reporting the Tourism Authority of Thailand is looking for a public relations firm to handle tourism for the Kingdom. Until now it's been handled in-house.
I'd hate to have this role, especially if the work was target-driven. The current team have spent months promoting the country only to see their efforts wiped out in the space of a few mad days last week. I read recently that estimates for the number of tourists visiting this year could drop to 11 million from last years total of 15 million. And considering tourism makes up something like 7% of Thailand's GDP that's a significant amount of lost revenue.
Does anyone have some (serious) creative ideas about what the lucky winners of this job should do to boost Thailand's tourism industry?
13 comments:
I have an idea. They could start by correcting the lies in this TAT newsletter published yesterday.
http://amazingthailand.tourismthailand.org/thailand_tourism_update/eNews/traveler3.htm
They even got an expat journalist to say this: "The chaos that occurred lately was due to internal problems between the government and a group of people who had no reason to interfere with tourism destinations." Cleary remarked. "The protesters have been cleared off without any real threat on the safety of tourists and expatriates in the country. Even during tensions, tourists have enjoyed their trips oblivious to the protests in Bangkok."
To say that tourists were unaware when the demonstrations became a world news event is simply astonishing.
I will say that he's right to suggest that neither tourists or expats have been directly targeted by "reds" or "yellows", but I would agree with you Leosia that it seems strange to suggest anyone in Thailand was "oblivious" of what was happening.
Yes, tourists may have been holidaying here last week and not affected directly, but were they really unaware of events in Pattaya and Bangkok? Surely those events must have been a concern and impacted in some way on their enjoyment?
he is right, no foreigner was affected by the protests.
i think there are many ways to promote thai tourism even in these days and many creative agencys who could create a campaign with a real impact. but the best agency in the world can only make suggestions and i hope that the TAT official got the balls to do something really advanced.
if i look at all the ads in tv, they have some really creative minds in thailand. just don't create another "land of smile" story. nobody buys that anymore.
This is an interesting debate.
Jan - foreigners have been impacted as a result of what happened because planned events have been canceled. I suspect others have postponed planned holidays too. But I understand what you're saying and agree a completely new direction is probably what's needed.
The journalist in question is a freelance and blogger but that should not be a factor. But yes - when you see those comments and balance them with everything else that's been reported it does seem to look rather out of place.
Thailand could do a lot by not making Bangkok the hub of tourism in Thailand. Upgrade some of the provincial airports to allow for international arrivals.
Focus on the Provinces: Phuket, Krabi, Rayong, Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai, Buriram/Surin/Srisaket, Udon/Nong Khai,etc. They are inherently more stable and in need of tourist money. They also have their own interesting sites and attractions.
Improve in-country transportation, including train and bus service, by increasing services between provinces. For instance, why not an Udon-Chiang Mai passenger train service? Or a first class sleeper from Chiang Mai to Hua Hin?
Encourage tourism to the often forgotten sites such as Phanom Rung, our perhaps historical tours of the spread of the ancient Khmer kingdom.
Mexico seems to have a lock on the All-Inclusive resort. I think Thailand could give them a run for the money, especially if you could fly directly from London, Madrid, Paris, Rome or Berlin directly to Koh Samui or Phuket.
Comment left by 'anonymous' at 12:15AM.
(Edited because I am unable to confirm one claim that's made.)
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To be credible the journalist needs to give a credible line. While it is true tourists have not been targeted directly, they have certainly been effected (several 100 thousand) very directly in late 2008 and also recently.
If the journalist wants to do PR (which is what this is on this occasion - there is no semblance of anything approaching journalism) then he should not be quoted as a local "journalist."
And TAT use him because no other journalist would just put out a party line like that. It's desperate, barrel scraping nonsense.
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Of course TAT are only going to say positive things about Thailand, that's their job.
But I think we all know that for these two upbeat quotes (from the journalist and from an online travel agent in Thailand) there could be one hundred not so glowing accounts. I have two interviews from the hospitality sector for a possible upcoming story for my magazine, along with three first-hand accounts from tourists in Bangkok last week.
These were totally random people - the first three I could find to speak - and all were worried about the events and were being affected at that time.
Thailand has probably set a record for lowest number of casualties in a protracted political conflict of this nature. Perhaps the peaceful nature of the government and military response should be stressed in some way. Compare Thailand's response to the Tianamen response or response in neighboring Burma or Cambodia.
Actually, the lack of any decisive resolution in the form of a police or military action is probably what keeps the never-ending conflict going. Like Sukhumband essentially said in the Der Spiegel interview, if you are going to do a coup do it right. Martial law though unpopular, also puts a lid on it.
Edited comments from 'anonymous' left at 9.44am.
(Edited to add balance to claims made.)
No - TAT's role is not only to put a positive spin. It is also to provide accurate information to tourists. And in their sometimes desperate attempts to shore things up they mutate into some weird propaganda machine.
That statement from TAT was also released with vdo clips of the journalist asking questions of tourists - it just looks so cheesy and ridiculous. And the guy seems more desperate to make sure he is in the frame than asking questions. Very tacky stuff.
Of course some people won't have a notion what is going on (some people don't even realise Phuket is in Thailand) but a lot of people will. To treat audiences like idiots just makes things much worse.
TAT needs to give accurate, realistic information not just spin for it to maintain credibility.
And finally you edited my claim that the journalist is paid - ask him - he will freely admit it. He's not operating as a journalist on any level in this instance.
NOTE: I edited that claim because I was unable to establish whether it was true. I have now had the chance to establish he was NOT commissioned to provide those quotes.
If TAT's role is to provide factual information, I volunteer to relate my experience.
Of how terrifying it is to have men in black uniforms knocking on people's doors in the middle of the night and shooting them in cold blood.
Of how terrifying it is to encounter an "extra-judicial" executions laying on the main street in town when you are bicycling home from the internet cafe.
Of how terrifying it is to have the Prime Minister of the country simultaneously rousing people to commit these executions and at the same time denying that the government has anything to do with it.
The problem with providing factual information is that there are just too many closets with too many skeletons in them. Whitewash PR is the only option.
Whitewash PR is what will happen once a global PR agency gets its hands on the TAT account. But that exposure will not come cheap and I wonder whether TAT can devote enough budget to effective PR? Remember this is just PR and not advertising, marketing and the like.
(And Jon, thanks for the mention on The Bangkok Post English pages - much appreciated).
I don't know the guy personally however to be published in places such as South China Morning Post one had to have a degree of credibility.
You are entitled to your opinion 'anonymous', but I agree that being responsible for PR for the TAT will be the toughest job in the world if the country does slip backwards.
Let's hope that doesn't happen.
Thaksin's war on drugs was a disgrace - but a huge part of the country applauded him at the time.
Cleary, despite not being paid on this occasion (comment edited at the request of the subject being discussed) is not a credible journalist - those vdos are painful to watch.
And TAT can pay all the PR companies they want (bell-pottinger anyone?) - if the country is burning they will have an impossible job.
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