TAT partners up with Saudia Airlines to spur Saudi tourism influx

TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said on Wednesday that she recently met the management of the Middle Eastern airline in Riyadh and engaged in discussions on boosting tourism.

She met key executives like Wael Basaffar, assistant to the airline’s vice president, and Abdulrahman Alabdulwahab, general manager of the airline’s central sales division. The focus of the talks included a proposal that Saudia Airlines start flying between Riyadh and Phuket to bring more Saudi tourists to the picturesque island.

They also discussed marketing promotion options under the theme “Two Kingdoms, One Happiness”, which will link the Dead Sea to the shores of Phuket, Thapanee said.

The TAT governor told the airline that the agency was planning to set up an office in Riyadh and invited Saudia to send its representatives to the Thailand Travel Mart Plus fair in Bangkok next year. She said she believes the fair and the airline’s participation will contribute to higher arrivals of Saudi tourists.

At the discussion, Thapanee also briefed Saudia Airlines on the Thailand privilege cards that will entice affluent Saudi tourists to spend more time in the country.

“TAT hopes more than 300,000 Saudi tourists will visit Thailand in 2024, generating revenue of 27.68 billion baht,” she said.

For 2023, the target is approximately 178,000 Saudi tourists with expected revenue of 17.12 billion baht.

Thapanee noted that, on average, Saudi tourists spend 14.55 days and 92,251 baht per trip in Thailand, far more than the time and money spent by European and American tourists.

Currently, Saudia Airlines operates seven flights a week to Bangkok from Jeddah and three from Riyadh.

Separately, TAT’s Phuket office has reported a notable surge of Indian arrivals following the launch of Air India’s New Delhi-Phuket flight on December 15. Air India is using its A320 Neo planes for its four weekly flights between New Delhi and Phuket.

The TAT office in Phuket expects Air India to upgrade to daily flights next month.

So far, 1.5 million Indian tourists have visited Thailand this year, with top destinations being Bangkok, Chonburi, Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga.