The Tourism Authority of Thailand is drawing up plans to market and promote Thailand for the Miss Universe Pageant, which the government has unofficially said it will host next June.
According to the TAT, the New York-based Miss Universe Organisation, which organises the annual pageant, recently gave informal approval for Thailand to host next year’s event.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced contest bid results to the Cabinet on August 10, but will wait until August 26 to make an official announcement.
Thailand “outbid” China and Chile. The government will pay US$6.5 million (Bt270 million) to the Miss Universe Organisation, lower than China’s offer of $7 million but more than Chile’s $6 million.
“We won because a Thai government body was the one who proposed the bid, unlike in the two [other] countries’ cases, which were proposed by private companies. Our proposal stood out as it is represented by a government tourism body,” said TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan.
The beauty pageant organiser wanted to give Thailand a chance, she said. Next year’s event marks the second time that Thailand will host the international show. The first was in 1992.
The authority has not yet decided where the contest will take place, but it expects 10,000 visitors to descend on Bangkok for the beauty contest alone.
It also wants to drum up even more tourists by taking advantage of the pageant’s reputation. June, in the thick of the rainy season, is usually a slow travel month, for the country.
In spite of the inevitable storms at that time, the TAT is looking on the bright side, to use the pageant as a selling point for more tourism.
Besides engaging all of its 17 overseas offices to step up marketing Thailand, the TAT is arranging a travel trade show for the days leading up to the contest. It also plans to renovate and decorate Rajdamneon Avenue and surrounding places, where the pageant will hold its parades.
But the TAT would not say how much all this would cost, or when it will start the promotion. Neither did it say how much economic stimulus the beauty show should create.
Juthamas said: “This is a very important strategy to lure more tourists during the competition. The idea is related to the TAT’s 2005 theme – ‘Happiness on Earth’.”
Once the campaign gets rolling, each TAT office will initiate its own marketing strategy.
Before the beauty contest, Juthamas said the authority plans to hold a Thailand and Indo-China travel mart, to energise domestic and intra-regional tourism.
The TAT wants to create a travel plan to “caravan” the beauties to the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Sukhothai.
In the 52-year history of the pageant, two Thais have been crowned Miss Universe – Apasra Hongsakul in 1965 and Pornthip Nakhirankanok in 1988.
The reigning Miss Universe, Australian Jennifer Hawkins, came to the Kingdom during the International Aids Conference in July. Her visit was seen as an informal nod to the TAT from pageant organisers.
