Etihad in $ 1.25 m deal to boost Thailand tourism

Wednesday, 29 July 2015 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, today signed a $1.25 million agreement with The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to increase visitor numbers to the Asian country.

Under the new agreement, the Abu Dhabi-based airline and TAT will jointly promote travel to Thailand from priority markets including the UAE, UK, Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, Iran and Kuwait.

The agreement was signed by Etihad Airways Senior Vice President Marketing, Shane O’Hare, and TAT’s acting governor Juthaporn Rerngronasa at a commemorative event in the Etihad Airways-Alitalia Pavilion at Expo Milan 2015.

O’Hare said: “Etihad Airways has a long and proud association with Thailand – in fact Bangkok was one of our first international routes. It continues to be one of the busiest in our network enjoying strong year-round demand, particularly from the UAE, GCC, Middle East, Africa and Europe.

“With five daily flights to Thailand – four to Bangkok and one to Phuket – Etihad Airways has a significant investment in Thai tourism and the new agreement with Tourism Authority of Thailand supports and extends that commitment.”

Rerngronasa said: “Europe has long been a prime market for Thailand. We have also seen an increase in visitors from the Middle East and Africa. The new partnership with Etihad Airways will be a great benefit to both parties – to Thailand in terms of increased visitor numbers and to Etihad Airways in terms of promoting its international network.”

For this year, TAT has set a target of 28 million international visitors generating an estimated 1.35 trillion Baht ($41 billion)