SHOWTIME 31
Thai Boat Show to drive yachting tourism
T
hailand’s East Coast has become a leading destination for visitors from around the world and
a priority region in which businesses are looking to invest. Planned road, rail and air infrastructure improvements, as well as inward investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor project, are set to have a significant impact on business and leisure in the area, and the East Coast’s marine industry is well- positioned to support this growth. Located at the centre of the
region’s yachting tourism is Ocean Marina Yacht Club, the largest marina in South-East Asia and home to the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show, which will take place for the eighth time from 21-24 November, 2019. “Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat
Show is one of our signature marine events and has grown considerably since its launch in 2012. Visitors reached almost 6,000 last year and were up 5% year-on-year, while overall numbers are up 183% since year one,” said Napong
Paripontpochanapisuti, Managing Director, Ocean Property Co Ltd, which organises the event. “We invest more than ten million
baht each year in developing the show and marketing it overseas and throughout Thailand, and we are targeting a 20% growth in the number of visitors this year. Our aim is for the show to be a platform for the industry, to promote marine-
related businesses and services, yachting tourism and showcase the stunning coastline and islands along Thailand’s East Coast, as well as introducing the boating lifestyle to more Thais.” Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat
Show helped to generate 2.5 billion baht of business for Thailand’s marine industry in 2018. Although Thailand’s tourism is
currently experiencing a dip, the fundamentals remain strong and the East Coast’s future looks bright with yachting tourism expected to contribute significantly to the tourism sector. “The first four months of the year
were very strong and although visitors during May and June have tapered off, the total number of tourists joining boat trips at Ocean Marina Yacht Club in the first half of 2019 is up 2% year-on-year. Chinese and Korean tourists remain the top day-trippers, but what is encouraging is the number of Thais who are enjoying time on the water – Thai nationals were our third largest nationality in this period,” commented Scott Finsten, Harbour Master of Ocean Marina Yacht Club. This bodes well for yachting
tourism on the East Coast. With its proximity to Bangkok, more Thai people are holidaying here and many are enjoying the boating lifestyle. Over 70% of visitors to the 2018 Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show were Thai and more than 50% of boats berthed at Ocean
MARINA INDUSTRY • SEPTEMBER 2019
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