Thailand, Vietnam blaze travel trail

Vietnamese and Thai tourism authorities have launched an advertising campaign in Vietnam to promote travel between the two nations.

It is expected that this will eventually lead to an exchange of a total of one million visitors a year between the two countries.

Tided the Thailand Road Show 2007, the new campaign highlights what is described as amazing opportunities for travel in the Buddhist kingdom.

The campaign also aims to enhance co-operation in developing travel to Vietnam from Thailand.

The launch showcased Thailand’s attractions, showing just what opportunities there are fornetworking with Vietnam’s tourism industry.

Rapid economic growth in Thailand strongly involves the tourist industry, which is now booming. Thailand has now become one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations.

The Thailand Road Show has provided local tourist organisations with mounds of information about travel-related products and services.

The campaign has been backed by many hotels, tour companies, travel agents and tourist services in the Land of the Free, as Thais often refer to their nation.

It is backed by booklets and brochures listing the attractions of the capital, Bangkok, southern beach resorts, such as Phuket and Pattaya, and the misty beauty of northern hill towns, such as Chiang Mai.

The campaign also details the nation’s luxury hotels and resorts, which offer stunning accommodation, much of it world class.

While Thailand welcomes seekers of natural beauty, it also features spectacular animal exhibits and aquariums, such as Dream World, Safari World and Siam Ocean World.

The coastal resort of Phuket features Fantasea, named as the nation’s best attraction. It also features a shopping village with carnivals, games and handicrafts.

At Pattaya, visitors can take a voyage to the bottom of the sea at Underwater World.

"The relationship between Vietnam and Thailand is now enormous, which is shown in various bilateral activities, including tourism," said Prakit Priyakiet, head of the Association of Thai Travel Agents in ASEAN, South Asia and the Pacific.

"Vietnam is a very important partner for us in expanding tourism, so we’re glad to realise that our bilateral work is starting to bear fruit".

Apart from introducing Amazing Thailand, the Road Show also enhances tourist co-operation between the two most distinctive travel destinations in South East Asia.

Caravanning, a new form of tourism in which groups of cars or four-wheel-drives Vietnam travel to holiday destinations together, is already providing travellers with an exciting way to discover the two countries - and Laos as well. The caravan rqutes are based not only on popular, but also more out-of-the-way destinations.

The new campaign is considered a good way of bringing together the historical and cultural features of all three countries.

"Caravan tourism will undoubtedly be a profitable form of tourism between the three nations," said Vu The Binh, director of the Travel Industry Department of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. He said Vietnam would send students and tourist guides to Thailand for training.

Organisers of the Thailand Road Show are also visiting Ho Chi Minh City to continue the joint promotion.

(Source: Viet Nam News)