It’s Amazing

Well, things just got a little more amazing.

Toronto area travel agents not only got a taste of the wonders of Thailand last night (Aug. 23), courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), they were also amongst the first to hear the news that TAT is opening a dedicated tourism office in Canada in 2017.

Srimala Waraphaskul, director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, was up from New York and made the announcement.

In a first for Thailand, the office will be located in Toronto and house seven to 10 staff.

Agents attending last night’s event at Toronto’s King Edward Hotel were treated to a trade show, dinner and a fun game show with prizes.

Kayla Shubert, Canadian representative for the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Canada, noted that the Asian nation remains popular with Canadians with more than 227,000 visiting last year, up 7.7% from the year before.

The average length of stay for Canadians is 16-plus days and 60% were repeat visitors.

She gave the top reasons for visiting as the hospitality of the people, good value and the country’s diversity.

“No matter how many times you go, you’re guaranteed to find something new,” she said.

Thailand has 2,500 km of coastline, hosts year-round special events and festivals and is renowned for its culinary experiences.

Accommodation in Thailand ranges from home stays to hill lodges to luxury boutique hotels.

Pictured at the event are (l-r) Pataraporn Sithivanich, executive director, The Americas, Waraphaskul and Shubert.

Go to http://www.tourismthailand.org for more.