Last month, Bangkok played host to the 40th Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF). Organised by Tourism Authority Thailand (TAT), the event showcased some of the nation’s best traditional attractions, while also looking to the future and welcoming a new era of post-pandemic tourism to the kingdom.
Located in Bangkok’s Lumphini Park, the free festival opened to the public from 11am to 9pm over five days from 18-23 February. It provided a vibrant celebration of the kingdom’s most famous landmarks, along with local customs, cultural heritage and culinary treats.
Just before the festival kicked off, TAT’s Governor, Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, explained its purpose and its potential: “The TTF 2022 focuses on inspiring travel in a safe and healthy way,” said the governor, “while helping to boost creativity and innovation among local tourism entrepreneurs,” he added.
The festival featured a total of nine ‘zones’, each one a mini ‘tourism village’ representing a Thai region and its distinctive local attractions. There was Nang Talung shadow puppetry in the Southern Village, a collection of Isan dishes in the North-eastern Village, a retro Thai market in the Northern Village, basket weaving and dyed fabrics in the Eastern Village, and Khon mask painting in the Central Region Village, along with many other exhibits and interactive experiences.
There was also a range of cultural performances on the centre stage, along with a special area in Zone 7 dedicated solely to Bangkok’s delicious street food. The festival formed the centrepiece of the Royal Thai Government’s recent policy to revitalise tourism in the wake of the pandemic, with the stated aim of accelerating the arrival of the new normal in 2022.
To that end, TAT used TTF 2022 as a platform for the official announcement of their latest international tourism marketing campaign: Visit Thailand Year 2022. According to officials, the campaign will include the ‘Amazing New Chapters’ programme, which lets travellers explore Thailand via its three main entry schemes – TEST & GO, Sandbox, and Alternative Quarantine.
TTF 2022 showcased a combination of Thailand’s most famous attractions and revealed a few of its lesser-known delights. Supported by TAT, the festival provided a celebration of Thai tourism’s glorious heritage, while also offering a glimpse of its bright future.
