Deborah Haines, Area General Manager, Eastern Thailand, Amari, explains what makes the property so special for Indians and their specific renderings for the market.
- Why India is a key market for Amari?
India is the third largest GeoSource market for Amari Pattaya this year (coming third to Korea and China, respectively) and we see this as a long-term opportunity. TAT actually shared that they expect an average 15% growth in Indian visitors to Thailand annually.
- The number of travellers from India continues to increase, with a record 180,000 visiting in June 2019 alone and an overall 20% increase compared to 2018. With more direct flights available, waived visa-fees and, most importantly, an increase in middle class wealth, Indian travellers are more inclined to travel internationally, especially coming to a destination like Thailand where there is an appeal for families, couples and solo travellers alike.
- Given continued GDP growth, a younger population (600 million Indian populations are younger than 25 years old), short-haul flights of 3-4 hours – these advantages emphasize an importance of India market to the future of Thai tourism.
- In addition family holidays and MICE trips, travellers from India are finding destination weddings in Thailand to be appealing – TAT found at least 200 Indian couples tying the knot here in Thailand per year.
With all of this in mind and the expected development of Indian tourism, our team here at Amari Pattaya offers a variety of products and services that especially cater to the India market, including:
- Our Executive Chef and a team of chefs of sub-continent heritage creating dedicated menus for those who miss home, as well as those looking to try our Thai local favourites.
- Rooms that begin at 49 sqm, which is considered the most spacious in the immediate area.
- Strategic location for leisure and MICE travellers in particular, accessible to key shopping zones ranging from local food and retail stalls to the newest shopping complex in North Pattaya.
- Amari Hosts, on-site guides and concierge team members all in one, who are capable of fluently conversing in English, Thai, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Russian, as well as a new recruitment of a Hindi-speaking Amari Host to accommodate guests from India.
- What does Amari Pattaya offer to its guests after its spectacular transformation?
- It’s definitely more than just a paint job: we are introducing a fresh, modern Amari Pattaya that has undergone a spectacular physical transformation and branding evolution. With two distinct wings of the all-new Amari Suites, perfect for family gatherings, and a fully-rejuvenated Amari Tower, an outdoor free-form swimming pool with a treehouse-themed slides and an aqua park for both kids and grown ups to enjoy, as well as the largest gardens of any resort in the immediate area, and a brand-new state-of-the-art pillar free ballroom for up to 700 guests. Amari Pattaya can proudly call itself the perfect base for a wide range of travel needs – from multi-generational family getaways to corporate meetings and leisure escapes.
- The completed recreational and MICE facilities in one platform:
- For the leisure market, kid-centric offerings are designed to delight family travellers: kids get to enjoy their own check-in counter with an assortment of vacation surprises, including a gumball machine of welcome gifts, a specially curated daily activity programme with our resident monkey mascots Sky and Rose, the Treehouse Kids’ Club and aquapark, a kids’ breakfast section at our breakfast buffet supervised by our dedicated animation team, and even a kids-only treatment room at Breeze Spa. Families will get to enjoy their stay in our Deluxe Family rooms with Executive Club Lounge access in the Amari Tower for a 5-star experience, or can choose to indulge in a more intimate Two- or Three-Bedroom Suite with direct pool access for extra tranquility and privacy, making you feel at home.
o For the MICE market, we offer the made-to-order MICE & More package, where guests can take advantage of the synergy of the all-new Grand Ballroom and Beach Lawn, an outdoor space facing the ocean ideal for team building and activities. For smaller functions or gatherings, the meeting spaces within Amari Tower offer a cosy and practical space for productive interactions. Regardless, our dedicated and professional Events Team at Amari Pattaya will make any and every event flow seamlessly.
- Amari Pattaya offers visitors a choice between two distinct wings; the all-new Amari Suites with 49 two- and three-bedroom residential style suites with ocean views, and are designed with a contemporary style based on vintage architectural features from traditional Thai homes. Ground-floor suites are especially charming with direct access to the resort’s pool and gardens.
o The fully-rejuvenated Amari Tower with 297 stylishly refurbished rooms and suites ranging from Deluxe Rooms to Executive Club Ocean View Suites. Entry level rooms at Amari Tower are among the most spacious in the immediate area, with 49 squares metres of personal space, oversized baths with separate showers, double vanities and a balcony.
o A newly-built, stand-alone, pillar-free ballroom and four additional meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 1,000 people. Plus, the outdoor Beach Lawn, our versatile venue by Beach Road is ideal for outdoor events with a hint of salty sea breezes and fresh air.
o Amaya Food Gallery – a dining experience inspired by the local food markets of Asia with its open-air cooking stations and friendly chefs preparing regional and international culinary highlights, as well as a collection of signature Thai favourites.
- How Pattaya as a city is attracting gaze of the world towards the hospitality they provide?
– The government plans to develop a full-scale transportation infrastructure for an airport, seaport, highways, and most notably the high-speed rail links between U-Tapao and Bangkok’s two international airports. U-Tapao Airport will have a passenger capacity for 3 million passengers in 2020 from its original 1.1 million, which looks to enhance Pattaya’s tourism appeal as well as its potential as a major Southeast Asian hub.
– With a growing demand from Thai domestic MICE travellers, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau found that Pattaya has welcomed approximately 170,000 MICE travellers internationally and 1.7 million domestic MICE visitors, generating around 16 billion THB in 2018. There is an increased demand from the MICE market for resort destinations that can also offer visitors a sense of modernity, convenience and practicality, and Pattaya fits the bill perfectly.
- Future of Pattaya as a destination
- Pattaya’s future is linked to the government’s mega project to build a high-speed rail line linking three major airports in the central region; Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang in Bangkok and U-tapao south of Pattaya, near the Sattahip deep-sea port.
- As the EEC plan aims to attract investment from S-Curve industries such as robotics, aviation and logistics, biofuels and biochemical, digital and integrated medicine, which will be developed across an area within 30 to 50 km of Pattaya, we see that Pattaya will emerge as a major MICE destination once these industries are established.
- Pattaya is looking beyond mass tourism to see the benefits and revenue that these smart industries will eventually deliver. More corporate bookings, mega sports events and product launches will soon reposition the city’s profile and raise the value of its hospitality industry. We believe that business travellers attracted by the convenience of a three-airport high-speed rail link will ultimately turn Pattaya into a competitive destination for corporate events.
