An emerging luxury destination
THAILAND is no longer
simply the playground of
young budget travellers
looking to get the most bang
for their buck. Tour operators
report that there has been an
increase in interest from the
more mature ‘luxury’ South
African traveller.
There has definitely been an
increase in the number
of “discerning” travellers
looking at four- and fivestar
packages, says Lesley
Simpson, South African
representative for the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT).
The luxury market comes in
a number of different shapes
and forms.
“We have noted a definite
increase in honeymoon and
wedding travel, with couples
selecting quieter luxury
resorts. These travellers like
to be within walking distance
of the beach and they are
mostly interested in lazy
beach activities and water
sports. Family travellers are
very similar in their choices
and needs, so often the
sales strategy for these two
groups would be similar,” she
comments.
The “true explorer”, looking
for an experiential holiday is
also increasingly interested in
Thailand, according to Lesley.
“From jungle trekking, to home
stays, these travellers will soak
in the experience. They travel
by train, plane or bicycle or
visit little-known destinations.
There is no limit to what
travellers such as this will try
and they often research their
holiday thoroughly in order to
maximise their experiences.”
Thompsons Holidays has
seen an increase in empty
nesters, sometimes travelling
with their extended families.
“This more mature market is
interested in activities such
as art, cooking and golf,” says
John Ridler, pr and media
manager. “Golf is an important
draw card as there are many
excellent courses which,
combined with great weather,
make for enjoyable and
affordable sport. Rumour has
it that the caddies on many
courses are ladies and they
politely applaud all your shots,
no matter how good or bad.
Who could resist?”
There has also been a
marked increase in villa
rentals, says Lance van
den Heever-Liebenberg, md
of Marmalade Toast. He
says these villas are often
cheaper than entry-level hotel
accommodation when split
between groups of friends or
families, but come with all the
luxury services and amenities
that one would expect at
five-star hotels, including
villa managers, private chefs
and drivers, who will ensure
that the guest experience is
exceptional.
Stuart Goodall, owner,
manager and senior travel
consultant at Travel 15,
agrees and says there are a
great number of luxury island
accommodation options in
Thailand that offer ‘wow’
experiences. “The lesserknown
beaches and islands
very often have resorts that
offer highly personalised
attention, with unique designs,
specialised spa treatments
and memorable experiences.”
Good exchange rate
Despite this increase in luxury
travellers, Lesley says the
“three-star, fun-in-the-sun type
of traveller” is still travelling to
the country.
“Thailand is ever popular with
young travellers; with a new
trend being to hire mopeds
and travel the country in true
explorer style.”
“The value of the Thai baht
in relation to the South African
rand, we believe, has resulted
in Thailand remaining a firm
favourite with the South African
traveller,” adds Janine Pienaar,
sales representative of
Centara Hotels and Resorts.
“We have certainly seen an
increase in travellers looking
for very affordable deals to
Thailand.
Book it
Kulula holidays is offering a special for Chanalai Hillside Resort from
R11 859pps, for travel from August 1 to October 31. The package includes
seven nights in a superior room, breakfast daily as well as return flights
from Johannesburg to Phuket on Qatar Airways. All pre-payable airport
taxes and fuel levies as well as return airport transfers are also included.
Travellers will also receive complimentary WiFi and a complimentary
welcome drink and resort credit of THB 1500 (R614) per room per stay.
Every day, clients receive two complimentary bottles of drinking water.
To the Point
Thompsons Holidays offers golfing packages that start from
R24 987pps and include flights and taxes, transfers, seven nights in
five-star accommodation and golf at Black Mountain Golf Club.
Which parts are ‘too touristy’?
ONE drawback of Thailand’s
popularity as a holiday
destination is that some
travellers may find some
areas ‘too touristy’. This often
relates to some of the more
popular consumer-driven
islands.
Patong, Pattaya and
Koh Phangan
Younger travellers looking for
nightlife are drawn to areas
like Patong and Pattaya,
which are consumer-driven
destinations and appeal
to guests who want to be
surrounded by nightlife, says
Zahedah Bhorat, Far East
product manager for kulula
holidays. Koh Samui, while
less busy, seems to be taking
that direction too, she says.
Operators sell Koh Phangan
only as a place to go for
the full moon party, but,
says Lance van den HeeverLiebenberg,
of Marmalade
Toast, it is actually a gorgeous
island. “My suggestion for
places that are traditionally
overrun with tourists and
perceived by some travellers
as ‘trashy’ is to look at
beaches or villages away from
the very popular spots. In Koh
Phangan, avoid staying in Haad
Rin at all costs and instead
head north to Bottle Beach, or
try the Anantara Rasananda in
Ban Tai.”
Jacqui Carr, product
manager Far East for The
Holiday Factory, says many
of these party areas still
offer authentic experiences
apart from the one day of the
month when they have the
full moon party. “The typical
Thailand travellers who use a
travel agent to advise them,
are characteristically looking
to visit the consumer-driven
areas, staying in great valuefor-money
hotels that are
clean, safe, and in decent
locations and offer suitable
resort facilities such as
restaurants, swimming pools,
spas, different dining options
and, most importantly, a
holiday atmosphere.”
Pukhet and Phi-Phi
First-time visitors are often
drawn to the well-known
tourist destinations such as
Phuket and Phi Phi because
of their great beaches, noisy
nightlife and shopping, says
Thompsons John Ridler.
If a destination is good value
or perceived as cheap it is
bound to attract a certain type
of tourist, says Travel 15’s
Stuart Goodall.
“Those travellers who
have the potential to bring
standards down and make
certain places feel trashier.”
While TAT’s Lesley Simpson
says she doesn’t think these
areas are too touristy, she
recognises that Phuket has
changed radically over the
years as it has become the
most popular destination in
Thailand and, consequently,
the cheapest.
“In terms of sheer numbers,
Phuket is very busy but still
offers visitors memorable
experiences, which is why
visitors return over and
over again.”
If clients want a more authentic option...
Despite the more
consumer-driven areas
in Thailand, there are a
number of more authentic
experiences that agents
can suggest to travellers.
Khao Lak and
Koh Lanta
According to John, Khao
Lak and Koh Lanta offer
more “serene” experiences
where travellers can walk
for hours on the beach
without the crowds. Chiang
Mai in the jungle also
offers a restful alternative.
Centara’s Janine Pienaar
agrees that Khao Lak is a
great option for a beach
destination. “With an easy
road transfer from Phuket
airport it can easily be
done as a standalone
beach holiday or in
combination with Phuket.
It is a destination that
encompasses much of the
culture of Thailand paired
with the exceptional beachfront
views.”
John says Thompsons
Holidays has identified the
traveller who would like to
explore Thailand away from
the crowds, and the tour
operator is working on new
‘Barefoot Chic’ packages
to secluded little islands
for a totally off-the-beatentrack
experience.
Chiang Mai, Chiang
Rai and the Golden
Triangle
Exciting, authentic Thailand
can be experienced in
Chiang Mai, Khao Sok,
Khao Lak, Koh Lanta,
Khanom and Krabi, which
are less commercialised,
says Zahedah.
Lesley says Chiang Mai,
Chiang Rai and the Golden
Triangle region give visitors
true insight into the culture
of the people and the
opportunity to learn about
the handicrafts for which
the region is famous.
Stuart agrees that the
northern part of Thailand,
like Chiang Mai and Chiang
Rai, is considered to be
the most authentic, as well
as some of the coastal
areas near Hua Hin and
some of the islands in the
South China Sea. “These
destinations draw travellers
who prefer more ‘real’
encounters with locals,
genuine activities and ways
of life.”
Koh Yao Noi and
Koh Yao Yai
Instead of visiting Phi Phi,
which Lance says is a
big “avoid”, he suggests
heading to Koh Yao Noi and
Koh Yao Yai. “Noi is slightly
more developed and has
fantastic properties like
the Six Senses and Yai is
almost totally undeveloped
with some fantastic eco
accommodation such as
Santhiya and Koh Yao
Tai Village. Both islands
are easily accessible by
boat from Ao Po Marina in
Phuket.
How to clinch the Deal
1. Know your product!
Thompson’s John Ridler
warns that it is important
to tell clients that some
hotels are not on the
beach and sea views
might not apply. TAT’s
Lesley Simpson adds
that there are plenty of
magnificent hotels in
Thailand and some very
good deals on offer.
What’s more, a four-star
hotel quite often compares
to the standards of a fivestar
hotel in South African
terms. So a retail agent
can risk upselling with the
knowledge that the
overall standards in
Thailand are high.
“Compare apples with
apples,” says Travel 15’s
Stuart Goodall. “Look out
for additional extras, free
tours, free nights and
times of the year when
rates are better. Clients
love to know that they are
getting more for their hardearned
money.”
2. Know your client
Knowing your client
can be the key to
success. Centara’s
Janine Pienaar
says: “Ask your
client as many
pertinent questions
as possible to
ensure you offer
them the right
experience. For
example, when
selling Phuket, it
is a good idea to establish
what type of holiday your
clients are looking
for and how busy
they want their
beach destination
to be. This will
help you to
determine which
beach to sell
them, as Patong,
Karon and Kata
all offer very
different
experiences for
very different travellers when
staying in Phuket.
3. Know your destination!
To close the deal and offer
clients exactly what they
are looking for, it’s crucial
for agents to know the
destination – which areas
to travel to and why, says
Zahedah Bhorat of kulula
holidays.
4. Know your holidays
Marmalade Toast’s Lance van
den Heever-Liebenberg says
Buddhist holidays (such as
Vesak at the end of May)
mean a ban on alcohol
sales for the 24 hours of
the holiday. Yee Ping and Loi
Krathong (lantern festival)
in November in Chiang Mai
mean that accommodation
needs to be booked often
months ahead due to the
high demand and the influx
of locals and tourists to
celebrate the festival.
5. It’s not all about price!
It’s not about securing the
best price but rather the
best itinerary for a client,
says The Holiday Factory’s
Jacqui Carr.
She says the Thailand
Holiday Combination Guide
in The Holiday Factory
brochure and on the website
really explains the different,
and logical, Thailand holiday
combinations and clarifies
how you get between
islands and other holiday
centres.
6. Sell low season
Thailand is a year-round
destination, so encourage
your clients to travel out of
season to clinch a cheaper
deal and encounter fewer
crowds, says John. Listen to
the guests’ needs and find
the best deal for them. If
your clients are more price
sensitive, look at switching
selling to low season,
suggests Zahedah.
Lesley agrees: “Consider
the time of year. Even though
the mid-year rainy season is
not popular with European
visitors, South Africans
often don’t have a problem
travelling during that time –
this season is also when the
best deals will be on offer.”
7. Use trusted operators
Always ensure that you are
with a trusted operator who
has experience and enough
knowledge to assist with all
your clients’ requirements,
says Zahedah.
“If you do not know
Thailand first hand use a
supplier that does – don’t
be embarrassed to ask
your operator or supplier if
they have seen the hotel
first hand or experienced
the tours and travelled to
the destination at a specific
time,” says Lance.
Stuart adds that agents
should not be afraid to use
online search engines or
go directly to DMCs and
operators in Thailand –
they generally offer more
variety at a lower cost
and very often you pay
less to do reservations
online.
The same applies to
some local operators who
give agents incentives
to book packages online
by offering additional
commission.
“Sometimes, not always,
using the cheapest airfare
deal and combining it with
online search engines and
accommodation websites,
you can come up with
some awesome deals,”
says Stuart.
8.Get first-hand experience
If you sell Thailand, make
sure you take a trip there
and check everything out,
suggests Stuart.
“It will be an expense that
will pay dividends over and
over again.”
He adds that clients are
more eager to visit places
when you speak about
them from first-hand
experience and they pick up
on your enthusiasm, or lack
thereof.
If you sell Thailand, make
sure you take a trip there
and check everything out,
suggests Stuart.
“It will be an expense that
will pay dividends over and
over again.”
He adds that clients are
more eager to visit places
when you speak about
them from first-hand
experience and they pick up
on your enthusiasm, or lack
thereof.
