The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Expedia Group have signed an agreement on collaboration, aiming to reach 20% growth in tourism income in secondary provinces by 2020.
Yuthasak Supasorn, the TAT governor, said it's the first memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the national tourism organisation and an online travel agent on tourism marketing and promotion collaboration.
Earlier the TAT signed an agreement with China's Alibaba to promote attractions in Thailand to Chinese tourists through Alibaba social media outlets.
Under the agreement with Expedia Group, the TAT predicts more foreign tourists travelling to Thailand and more Thais visiting attractions across the country.
"Both foreigners and locals should help boost income growth to communities in secondary provinces from 9-10% last year to 20% over the next two years," Mr Yuthasak said.
The TAT is promoting 55 secondary provinces under its campaign called Amazing Thailand Go Local. Some of Thailand's secondary cities, including Chiang Rai, Koh Lipe, Mae Hong Son, Trang and Trat, are expected to become international destinations.
As part of the MoU, the collaboration will include sharing of traveller insights and trends and boosting the TAT's capabilities to plan effective promotional campaigns, thus attracting more tourists and encouraging longer stays in Thailand.
Both parties will use joint destination marketing campaigns to spotlight Thailand's hidden and unique tourist attractions in secondary cities, promoting the variety of lodgings to Expedia's 675 million monthly global visitors.
In addition, Expedia Group will launch key programmes on destination marketing and skills transfer to the local hospitality industry in secondary cities. Workshops for local hotel partners will be included, along with accelerated skills development and building revenue and hotel management capabilities among local small and medium-sized accommodation.
Mr Yuthasak said a joint corporate social responsibility campaign will enhance awareness of the environment by asking 20,000 member hotels in Thailand to reduce the use of single-use and general plastic items at their properties by half.
Ang Choo Pin, senior director for government and corporate affairs in Asia at Expedia Group, said Expedia will work with communities, especially in secondary provinces, to gain more business.
"Tourism contributes almost 10% of GDP and 7% of employment in Thailand," Mr Ang said. "As the world's largest online travel agency, Expedia Group will connect Thailand's tourism industry to travellers across our global network."
The TAT also launched the Creative Tourism District campaign yesterday to promote six secondary provinces -- Chanthaburi, Ang Thong, Trat, Chiang Rai, Sing Buri and Phangnga -- as new destinations for local tourists.
Sujitra Jongchansitto, the TAT's deputy governor for tourism products and marketing, said the project should help the six provinces boost tourism income by at least 15% by 2019.