The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has just started one of the most interesting partnerships ever seen in the industry with Tinder to promote domestic trips for single tourists. As the campaign too cleverly notes, travel can lead to a lifetime of love, so organising a group singles tour might be just the way for mutually interested people to get their romance started.
Thailand is now open to everyone, but only after you take a leap through a lengthy process to secure a visa and complete 15 days of pre-paid quarantine at an approved hotel. But this is not what this innovative campaign is about.
As the Bangkok Post put it, “Thai Tourism partners With Tinder to Trap Singles”. The headline isn’t too far off of reality.
TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) expects to raise awareness of this campaign via social media to more than 70 million engagements in the next three months.
“Tourism connects people, and some people might end up being lifetime partners. Tourists can also help support tourism and the economy during tough times, Ms Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT deputy governor for tourism products and business, was quoted as saying to bangkokpost.com.
Thai Tourism Authority (TAT) partnering with Tinder and presenting a series of singles travel initiatives with a focus on 9 destinations including Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Lop Buri-Saraburi, Udon Thani-Loei, Chumphon-Surat Thani, Phuket, Pattaya and Ayutthaya.
During the pilot programme, the TAT will introduce three tourism campaigns in December and January.
Starting on December 20, single tourists who would like to pray for a relationship can join a river cruise trip to visit nine temples by the river and have dinner on board.
According to the reports, this project is a partnership with Tinder and a Facebook page called Sneak Out.
For solo travellers who prefer travelling alone, the agency is also offering a secret island party at Koh Khai in Phuket on January 9, 2021.
TAT is also partnering with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) for a one-day trip by train under the “Rod Fai Loi Nam” programme to Pasak Jolasid dam in Lop Buri, scheduled for Jan 23, 2021, said The Bangkokpost.com.
The Single Journey campaigns targeting singles will help drive seven million domestic trips, generating at least 100 million baht in tourism income during the first quarter of next year.
Ms Thapanee Kiatphaibool said throughout next year, TAT and partners that include airlines and tour operators will offer more than 20 tourism routes nationwide for solo travellers that will be available on Sneakoutdeal, an online tourism platform.
Thai Tourism and Tinder may be the most unlikely of bedfellows in travel this year, but in 2020, the unexpected is what is expected. This has a domestic focus for now, but the idea of bringing singles to Thailand for trips based on mutual interest has real merit.
Written by: Joe Cusmano
.jpg){kind=tracking}
