Thailand No Longer A ‘Male Paradise'

One of the greatest success stories in the history of tourism marketing is how Thailand has managed to change its image from being a 'male paradise' to a place that is now attracting legions of female visitors. The number of female visitors has nearly doubled from 2,620,045 in 1995 to 4,948,162 in 2004, while male visitors have risen at a comparatively much lower rate, from 4,331,521 to 6,702,541, in the same period. This has led to a significant adjustment in the female:male ratio of visitors from 38:62 in 1995 to 43:57 in 2004.

Indeed, the shift would have been even more dramatic had total visitor arrivals not been tripped up by the impact of SARS and the Iraq war in 2003 and the 1997 economic crisis.

A detailed analysis of the visitor arrivals profile shows that for the first time, the year 2004 saw at least four source-markets from which the number of female arrivals to Thailand outstripped the number of male arrivals, as follows:

This trend is continuing. Across the board, the growth rates in the number of female visitors is consistently outstripping that of male visitors, holding out the strong possibility that the overall ratio could become an even 50:50 in the not- too-distant future.

There are a number of reasons for this surge:
- Globally, female travellers are on the rise, thanks to better economic conditions, more women joining the global work force and the increased propensity among women to be the final arbiters of holiday destinations.
- Thailand has been pushing the right marketing buttons that attract female visitors, especially in such areas as cooking, shopping, health and wellness.
- Thailand is becoming known as a safe family destination, especially for children, also an increasingly important determinant of holiday destination.

Although official tourism authorities would love to claim credit, this change can be traced back more to circumstance than design.
The creativity and initiative of the private sector has been instrumental in the gradual evolution of new products, beginning in 1986 with the cooking classes launched so successfully by The Oriental.
In 1995, the opening of Chiva-Som spa resort spurred the health and wellness phenomenon.

Both the cooking schools and exclusive spas became trendsetters. Extensively copied throughout Thailand and the region, they generated worldwide publicity, all of it positive.

The cooking schools gave a major fillip to the popularity of Thai cuisine and Thai restaurants. Thai spas totally overshadowed the previously nudge-wink image of Thai massage.

As women comprise the vast majority of travel consultants in most of the visitor generating source markets, agents brought in on familiarisation trips were bowled over by these fascinating new products and spread the word big-time.

In May 2002, the International Federation of Women's Travel Organisations organised its annual convention in Bangkok.

In recent years, Thai tourism authorities have picked up on the trend because it fits in perfectly with national economic and social-development objectives.

Shopping remains a major draw-card. Hence, products made under the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) poverty-alleviation scheme are a major component of the marketing campaign targeted at women. OTOP products are relatively inexpensive, delicate and make excellent gifts and souvenirs, all easy to carry back home.

Amongst women, Thai silk has always been a popular shopping item, made famous by the Jim Thompson icon.

In 2005, Thailand expanded this concept by creating the first Bangkok Fashion Week, as part of a national campaign to enhance the international image of Thai fashion brands worldwide.

The first Fashion Week was held between 17-21 August 2005, and the second will be held between 15-19 March 2006.

Another major event designed to catch the female eye was the Miss Universe 2005 pageant in May 2005. Thailand outbid China and Chile with an offer of US$6.5 million (270 million baht) to the Miss Universe Organisation to host the pageant.

Although most of the direct TV exposure was in the US, the event got extensive coverage on Indian and Chinese websites. In both those countries, the rising female population is being targeted aggressively by cosmetics companies.

Clearly, the long-standing claim that Thailand is a 'male paradise' has now been relegated to the dustbin of history.