Post by Laoupdate on Mar 27, 2005 21:30:36 GMT -5
A strong growth in Indian visitors to Thailand will also benefit the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries. Although Cambodia and Laos both give Indians visas on arrival, the Mekong countries have so far not done much marketing in India.
Indian visitors to Laos have dropped from 8,814 in 1998 to 2,319 in 2002. Arrivals plunged further to 1,590 in 2003, the Sars year, but rose marginally again to 1,845 in 2004. Indian arrivals to Cambodia have grown, but very slowly, from only 1,455 in 1999 to 2,904 in 2004.
By contrast, in 2004, Chinese visitor arrivals to Cambodia totalled 46,325 and to Laos, 33,019, with strong growth rates in both countries.
However, growth potential is huge. The profile of Indian visitor arrivals to Thailand clearly shows the opportunities. Between January and October 2004, of the 248,600 Indian arrivals to Thailand,
Source: www.bangkokpost.com/Business/28Mar2005_biz54.php
Photo: news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/615000/images/_618456_indian300.jpg