Fashion
Travelers looking to experience Thailand like locals can now find ideas and inspiration in Visa’s #notatourist platform. The “Visa #notatourist: See Thailand through Local Eyes” campaign aims to woo residents to share the many local experiences that otherwise might elude travelers on the conventional path.
The campaign rallies residents in Thailand to share photographs of the different things to do, food to eat, and places to see on social media, namely Instagram and Facebook. With hashtags #notatourist and #VisaThailand, the selected photos will go on Visa’s dedicated website at www.visa-promotions.com/notatourist/TH/. A panel of judges will then select ten to print, creating a total of 100,000 postcards – the quintessential travel souvenir – to be distributed by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Visa around the world. There will also be lucky draw for participants at the end of each month within the activity period.[1]
As one of the most popular destinations in the world[2], with 28 million international visitors last year[3], Thailand’s famous sights and sounds are well-known. While the usual tourist attractions such as Grand Palace and dishes like Pad Thai are worth revisiting, Visa believes that Thailand has more to offer – particularly when recommended by locals.
Suripong Tantiyanon, Visa Country Manager, Thailand said: “This is an opportunity for people of Thailand to share unique aspects of the country for visitors looking to venture off the beaten path. Visa recognizes the changing expectations of today’s travelers and their reliance on social media when visiting new places. The #notatourist platform will help unearth new ways to discover hyper-local experiences.”
Complementing existing partnership with TAT, #notatourist platform aims to guide travelers to navigate local experiences, customs and cuisines – all things Thais hold dear but otherwise might be off the radar to some visitors. Residents of Thailand are encouraged to share their favorite places, restaurants, and activities on the social media platform.
The campaign is part of Visa’s #notatourist initiative, launched globally this year. As one of the most popular travel destinations in the region, Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to run this platform.
“This is our chance to redefine how Thailand will look to visitors in the next ten years and we at Visa are excited to open this up for everyone to participate,” added Mr. Suripong.
[1] Terms and conditions apply
[2] In 2015, Thailand ranks 14th in the world on number of international tourist arrivals and 9th in the world for international tourism revenue, according to the latest figures from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
[3] The number of tourist arrivals announced by Tourism Authority of Thailand in their official website on December 2015. (https://www.tatnews.org/thailand-tourism-hitting-record-highs-with-the-arrival-of-the-28-millionth-tourist-for-2015/)
