Thailand promotes cycling holidays
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is aiming to expand interest in cycling holidays in the country.
As part of its focus on the environment, the tourism board is planning to expand interest in cycling among Thai nationals, as well as boosting interest in cycling holidays among international tourists, with the expansion of cycling routes across the country.
To launch the new tourism drive, the TAT will host an event at Bangkok’s Impact exhibition centre from 2-5 May. Bangkok Bike 2013, which is expected to be attended by at least 170,000 people over the four-day period, will offer information on six suggested bicycle routes covering five regions in Thailand, plus a seminar on bicycle tourism and the chance to meet with tour operators, hotels, resorts and local products.
Currently the most popular tours in Thailand are day trips, two-day tours, and to a lesser extent, week-long tours. The TAT has supported cycling tours in the past but, due to infrastructure limitations, these have been confined to a few provinces, including Ayutthaya and Samut Songkhram near Bangkok, and the northern provinces of Lampang, Mae Hong Son and Nan. But the tourism board said it now plans are to open “bike tour routes and tours across every province with proper bike path management”.
“Travelling by bike fits in well with our ‘Seven Greens’ concept which we launched a few years ago as part of our commitment to environmental sustainability. It also fits in well with the national focus on creative tourism. By increasing the number of cycling trips from once a year to two or three times a year, we can significantly grow the economic value of tourism while lowering the environmental impact,” said Vilaiwan Twichasri, the TAT’s Deputy Governor for Tourism Products & Business.
The TAT added that the bicycle tours also help Thailand’s “national socio-economic development policy” by distributing income to local communities and helping local businesses.