Spiritual experience: Fair targets faith travellers
Spiritual tourism is expected to generate 15 billion baht for the tourism industry this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said on Monday, as it prepares to launch the year’s biggest festival to boost the interest of faith travellers.
“The Amazing Mutiverse” fair, running from June 30 to July 2 at centralwOrld shopping mall in Bangkok, will showcase spiritual trips, attractions and religious ceremonies throughout Thailand, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said.
“Mutiverse” is a wordplay on “mutelu”, the word Thais use to refer to people who travel to revered places to worship sacred items such as amulets and talismans.
It is believed to come from an old Indonesian movie called “Mutelu: Occult War” that dealt with superstition, black magic and mysticism.
Yuthasak said spiritual tourism generated 10.8 billion baht in revenue in 2019.
The TAT expects the trend to grow rapidly after the pandemic, citing the prediction of Future Market Insight 2023, which said revenue from meaningful tourism was likely to triple in the 10 years to 2033 from US$13.7 to $40.9 billion globally.
Highlights of the event at CentralWorld include miniature landmarks for pilgrimage on 12 routes throughout Thailand, a free concert by NO ONE ELSE and New Country bands, a Guru Talk session by spiritual leaders and famous astrologers, and booths selling tour packages and souvenirs.
Every 999 baht spent at the fair gives visitors the chance for an exclusive session with famous fortune tellers, limited to three persons per day.
For more information, visit facebook page @Tourismproducts, or TAT Contact Centre 1672.
