Thailand launches online tourist service
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A new online travel planning and booking system – Open Travel Alliance (OTA) – is being introduced to serve tourists to Thailand, the Bangkok Post has reported. The venture is being undertaken by the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to help the growing number of visitors to Thailand who plan and book their trips online.
“We believe the OTA system will help both Thai and foreign tourists access comprehensive tourism information. It’s a one-stop service location, where tourists can complete their trip preparations,” said Phanom Kaributra, the TAT’s Executive Director for IT.
SIPA has invested THB3 million (US$86,000) to install the OTA system and has held training sessions in Chiang Mai and Phuket, with one planned in Bangkok in the near future. So far 110 travel companies from Chiang Mai and 130 from Phuket have subscribed to OTA. SIPA is reported to be confident that 200 to 300 more operators will join the system next year.
SIPA plans to add facilities such as transport reservations, insurance, golf packages and cruise reservations. The report added that membership will be free-of-charge. Operators will only need OTA-compatible software.
SIPA Vice-President, Suwimol Taewasillachaikul, said that given the global use of the Internet, OTA was an effective marketing tool that could improve the quality of Thailand’s tourism industry.
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