Tourism Authority of Thailand and Klook signs Letter of Intent of Strategic Partnership

TAT Governor, Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, said “The time could not have been better for TAT and Klook to support each other in promoting Thailand as a top tourist destination. We have set our goals to collaborate and create comprehensive joint marketing with Klook to promote quality tourism experiences in the kingdom for the ASEAN, South Asia, and South Pacific Market. Our country is well-recognised as a friendly destination with rich tourism resources that can definitely serve the needs and demands of these markets.”

“We are excited to team up with TAT to diversify and elevate tourism in Thailand with meaningful and exclusive experiences that best reflect the destination, from iconic activities to hidden gems and even mega-events including music festivals and sporting events," said Eric Gnock Fah, COO & Co-Founder, Klook. “At the same time, we want to help boost income distribution to local communities and strengthen Thailand’s sustainability profile, stimulating economic growth across the wider industry.”

Under the agreement, TAT and Klook will enhance collaborations on increasing awareness and raising travel demand to Thailand, leveraging Thailand’s 5F soft power to promote meaningful travel experiences in key and secondary cities, strengthening efforts on the promotion of sustainable and community tourism, and adopting digital transformation to help drive Thai tourism industry.

According to Klook’s Travel Pulse survey, the majority of travelers are becoming more intentional in prioritizing experiences as the focal point of their trip. In fact, travelers today are seeking exciting and different ways to experience destinations across local cuisine, rich culture, iconic sights and attractions, and mega-events.

In Thailand, Klook currently offers close to 1,700 experiences and more than 10,000 packages and this number is set to increase by 20% this year. This will include curated experiences in line with Thailand’s 5F Soft Power, for example; tickets to exhilarating Muay Thai matches in Bangkok and Siam Songkran Music Festival 2024 for those looking to soak in the festive spirit of Songkran and local culture. More recently, Klook launched an exclusive experience featuring local Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Jeh-O and iconic Chao Phraya cruise to allow travelers to savor the famous ‘Jeh-O Mama Tomyum’ while cruising along the Chao Phraya River and taking in the backdrop of the city’s skyline.

Furthermore, the collaboration will enable Klook and TAT to work closely together to forge partnerships with Thailand’s major ticketed festivals to offer an integrated booking experience that transcends traditional event ticketing. This extends to seamless bookings for an extensive range of in-destination services across accommodation, curated experiences and local attractions to ensure travelers have access to a comprehensive itinerary at their fingertips. Collaborating closely with TAT, Klook is committed to showcasing the best of Thailand's cultural tapestry and hospitality to a global audience. By leveraging technology and local expertise, Klook is poised to diversify and elevate the global traveler experience in Thailand with major festivals.

Klook has been working with TAT to spotlight hidden gems and lesser known authentic Thai experiences by empowering small-medium operators with the tools to digitize their business and expand their reach to Klook’s global user base. Among the new experiences that Klook will be offering in 2024 in Thailand, about 80% will be supplied by local small and medium-sized operators with the goal of uplifting local communities, distributing income and promoting more sustainable travel. One local community key to Thailand’s tourism ecosystem are elephant sanctuaries, and Klook has been investing in improving elephant welfare camps, educating travelers to make informed decisions when booking activities and ensuring that they are not supporting poor animal welfare practices. The partnership will see Klook close to double the number of sustainable and responsible tour operators that not only celebrates local culture but empowers local communities to benefit from tourism through new partnerships and product offerings.

As a top tourist destination, Thailand has sustained tourism recovery with a 44% growth in foreign tourist arrivals over the past year and is set to welcome even more tourists this year. In parallel, Klook expects to double the number of bookings for tourism packages in Thailand last year to at least 2 million this year.

Klook’s latest Travel Pulse survey reveals that travelers are looking to increase their overall travel budgets in 2024 by up to 50%, with 3 in 5 willing to allocate half of their travel budgets on experiences. With travelers chasing unique events, Klook observes that more than 40% are keen to visit a destination for specific events including splurging on once-in-a-lifetime events like the Olympics, music festivals and concerts, and cultural celebrations like Songkran.

Looking ahead, TAT and Klook will continue to position Thailand as a choice destination for quality tourists with elevated spending power and who are keen to experience Thailand authentically, meaningfully and responsibly.