The Royal Thai Army has declared martial law that covers the entire Kingdom of Thailand. This is not a coup, according to the army statement. The martial law has been invoked to ensure peace and order for people from all sides. In the announcement, the army told the public not to panic and to live their lives as normal.
There is currently no curfew in place in Bangkok or any other tourist destinations in Thailand. Local residents and international visitors can continue to travel within Bangkok and other destinations in the country as usual. Further, tourists transiting Bangkok to onward destinations in Thailand can be assured that outside of Bangkok, there are no demonstrations. Tourists visiting Bangkok need not panic – they are however advised to avoid rally sites and demonstration marches as well as areas where crowds may gather.
Polish Tourist Organisation (PTO), the national tourism agency of Poland, in association with the Poland Convention Bureau, recently organised a three-city road show in India. Emilia Kubik, Project Leader, Department of Marketing & Planning, PTO led the Polish delegation on their visit to Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi.
During her visit to Mumbai, Kubik shared that the tourism agency is going to up the marketing and promotional activities in India, as they see a huge potential in the leisure and FIT segment. “India has a vast population with an ever increasing disposable income, and this is a huge advantage to any country whose focus is promoting tourism. We recognise the importance of this market and want to position ourselves as a must-visit business and leisure destination,” she said.
According to the Main Statistical Office of Poland, 14,238 Indians visited Poland in 2013, compared to 13,581 in 2012 and 11,356 in 2011. Kubik further stated that, by 2015, the tourism entity hopes to see a significant rise in the number of tourist arrivals from India, bringing the total number to 100,000 arrivals from Asia.
Kubik believes that what is lacking is awareness in the Indian market, and for this sole reason, PTO has decided to increase promotions in India. The Office will, however, continue to work as one team with the V4 and be a part of their annual roadshows as well. “This year we are conducting solo workshops apart from the V4 with an aim to position ourselves as a standalone destination. The roadshow is a part of PTO’s product marketing and branding campaign, ‘Polska – Come and Find your Story’, and is targeted towards promoting business and leisure tourism,” she said.
Elaborating on the country’s MICE offerings, she opined that, over the last 10 years, Poland has witnessed a huge surge in infrastructure development. “Although the country is famous for its heritage and culture, the added infrastructure, including the new upcoming additions – the two multi-functional conference and exposition venues this year, namely ICE Krakow and Expo Krakow in the heritage city of Krakow, will add a modern edge to the country and help in increasing MICE arrivals,” she said.
