Bangkok, 25 November, 2016 – The congress and professional trip 2016 of Confederation Spanish of Travel Agencies (CEAV) was held during 17-20 November, 2016 in the historical city of Chiang Mai.
During the conference, all the participants received an in depth discovery of the destination through the realisation of different thematic routes covering activities as diverse as nature tourism, health and wellness, gastronomic experiences, interaction with local cultures, handicrafts and traditions. This is a wide variety on offer of this complete Thai destination.
Due to the unmatched hospitality of the Thai people as well as fascination of Lanna culture along with being the bridgehead of Southeast Asia, Chiang Mai was chosen as the perfect scene for hosting the CEAV’s meeting this year.
For the congress, organised in cooperation with TAT, around one hundred attendees gathered at the Shangri-La hotel in Chiang Mai, where the central conference begun with the welcome words of Mrs. Jittima Sukpalin, TAT Executive Director of the Europe, Africa, and Middle East Market Region. Then Mrs. Anchalee Kumwong, Director of the Europe, Africa, and Middle East Market Division introduced new products and services available in Northern Thailand’s destinations.
These includes visits to cities near Chiang Mai; such as, Lampang and Lamphun, private jet or helicopter tours to appreciate the landscapes from a bird’s-eye view, new culinary experiences, or the various Royal Projects promoted by the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej to improve local economies.
To finish CEAV delegates participated in different post-tours to the capital Bangkok, the fabulous beaches of Krabi and “beyond Thailand” to know the combined trips between the ancient kingdom of Siam and its neighbouring countries of the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community); such as, Myanmar, Lao PDR. and Cambodia.
Rafael Gallego Nadal, President of CEAV said, “The welcome from Thailand has been great since arriving at the airport, both for the kindness of its people and for the facilities to carry out our entire agenda of activities and meetings. In addition, the commitment to diversify its tourism offer and accessibility makes it possible to work simply with a key destination for the Spanish market. “
According to Ms. Rung Kanjanaviroj, TAT Rome Office Director, “For us it is a great opportunity to have a group in Chiang Mai as important as the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies, which has always shown its support to the destination. This is a unique opportunity for them to discover in person the new products that make Chiang Mai receive nearly 5 million international tourists a year.”
In 2015, Thailand welcomed 147,380 Spanish tourists, generating revenue of around 241 million Euros, which represents an increase of 26.60% and 22.69%, respectively. The majority of Spanish tourists travel to Thailand for a holiday. They love enjoying Thai food as the top preference, followed by visiting historical sites as well as sea and beaches. The preliminary figures of Spanish tourist arrivals from January to September recorded 127,733, a growth of 12.53%.
