Gastronomy and sport to entice more Aussie travellers to Phuket, says tourism marketing boss

Each Sunday in the end of the afternoon a huge street food market takes place in the whole Thalang Road - thanon Thalang in Thai - in Phuket Old Townn Thailand, till late in the night.

While Phuket is known for its beautiful white-sand beaches and incredible granite and limestone islands, the popular Thai destination is banking on two of its other qualities to attract more Aussie travellers in 2020.

Speaking to Travel Weekly, Phuket Tourist Association’s vice president of international marketing, Khun Sukris Koyakradej, said an increasing number of travellers have taken interest in the destination’s culinary variety and cultural complexity in recent years.

“In Phuket, one can experience the succulent authentic food in the old town and fresh seafood along the coasts,” he said.

“Another interesting sector is sport tourism, which has gained more interest over the past decade in which a wide range of sport activities are involved.

“We believe that there are still a lot more for Australian travellers to discover and enjoy.”

Koyakradej said all this and more will be showcased at Phuket’s upcoming Australian trade roadshow later this month, which will be hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

“This year, the Phuket roadshow will be participated by 28 top-quality suppliers ranging from hotels and resorts, to DMCs and attractions,” he said.

“It might come as a surprise to some people that the Phuket roadshow to Australia this year is among the top three most participated event for Phuket sellers.

“Also, this year we are offering our roadshow program not only to the two most populous cities in Australia, which are Sydney and Melbourne, but we are planning to visit the third most populous city like Brisbane as well.

Last but not least, Koyakradej said TAT has a special team in place for executing each roadshow event.

“The venues of each city will not be traditional hotels, but will be special function venues where can enhance the mood and tone of conducting business and hence will surely help both sellers and buyers to celebrate a wonderful memorial night.”

So, if you’re based in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, and are looking to network with like-minded travel professionals while enjoying some delicious Thai cuisine, below are the key details for each roadshow event that you need to mark down in your diary:

Brisbane

Date: Monday 17 February 2020

Venue: Factory 51, 51 Holdsworth St, Coorparoo QLD 4151

Time: 5pm-9pm

Sydney

Date: Wednesday 19 February 2020

Venue: All Hands Brewing House, 22 The Promenade, King Street Wharf, Sydney 2000

Time: 5pm-9pm

Melbourne

Date: Thursday 20 February 2020

Venue: Common Man, 39 Dukes Walk, South Wharf VIC 3000

Time: 5pm-9pm

Click HERE to register your interest. For all enquiries, email nicolle@travelweekly.com.au. Otherwise, keep an eye out for further info on this fab roadshow!

Main image: iStock/deniscostille

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