THE THAILAND Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has taken its 100 A-Head programme to India, as part of its efforts to attract more Indian visitors to trade exhibitions held in the kingdom.
The programme, which targets event promoters, MICE tour operators, DMCs, trade associations, chambers of commerce and trade publications, will see TCEB dishing out US$100 per pax to groups with at least 15 participants who stay a minimum of three days/two nights in Thailand.
According to a TCEB publication, the 100 A-Head programme had helped India’s Doon Valley n Travel to bring a group of 70 poultry trade members to Victam 2012 in Bangkok this February. Jatinder Dhamija, operations head of the travel firm said: “The programme helped promoters like me to double the participants’ joy. They get to gain new knowledge at the exhibition and enjoy the benefits as well.”
Further efforts to court more trade show attendees from India will come in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that TCEB is likely to sign with India’s Ministry of Tourism in 2013.
Supawan Teerarat, TCEB director of exhibition, said the agreement would be in line with the bureau’s “strategic approach under the ASEAN MICE Collaboration, which is aimed at promoting the MICE tourism industry in the ASEAN region”.
Supawan said: “The Indian MICE segment is an essential market for Thailand. In 2011, India ranked second in terms of overseas visitors for trade shows in Thailand, and in 2012, we are projecting a 10 per cent increase in the number of MICE travellers from India.”
“We are looking forward to partner with the travel trade in India to enhance our overall efforts for promoting Thailand as a MICE destination.”
