In the wake of Covid-19, demand growth for health and wellness activities as well as sport tourism has exceeded estimates.
The UN World Tourism Organization said these activities are among the fastest-growing areas in the tourism industry, offering both economic and social benefits.
In acknowledging this trend, Thailand aims to showcase the Andaman provinces as a wellness hub, while Phuket has been nominated to bid for the Specialised Expo 2028, which is expected to help position the island as a medical hub.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry wants to make the country a sports tourism destination in the near future, with a target to increase revenue from these activities to 40 billion baht next year.
The latest edition of the Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2022 this month welcomed more than 21,000 participants, creating the need for more than 7,000 jobs and generating more than 500 million baht, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Business operators have noticed these opportunities and believe there is still room to grow the sector in Thailand.
MUAY THAI FOR THE WORLD
A number of Muay Thai gyms joined ITB Asia -- a tourism business-to-business conference in Singapore -- under the umbrella of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) last October to seek partnerships with agents.
Tiger Muay Thai, a gym and training camp in Phuket that boasts foreign customers from 37 countries as its main market, promoted its products to agents. The camp has capacity to receive a maximum of 900 people and offers 28 classes per day across 12 sports.
Viwat Sakulrat, Tiger Muay Thai executive managing director, said most of the guests come from England, Australia, the US and Russia. These visitors tend to focus their itinerary solely on workout programmes rather than leisure activities, staying from a minimum of two weeks up to a month, said Mr Viwat.
He said including sport activities in tour packages has become a normal practice in Phuket as the popularity of Muay Thai helped drive demand and increase the number of gyms.
Mr Viwat said he expects to see more government support in terms of visa extensions that can last for three months. The extensions allow tourists to stay longer, join training courses and work remotely at the same time, meaning they spend more money in local communities, he said.
Mr Viwat suggested including budget for infrastructure development in Phuket such as road construction that could mitigate traffic congestion, as well as an effective mass transit system for tourists.
"We need clean and safe places for tourists," he said.
DOING SPEED WORK
A new online Muay Thai booking platform dubbed Now Muay Thai hopes to expand the visibility of the Thai national sport to customers abroad.
Sutthinun Ritthiboriluck, founder of the platform and the owner of a Muay Thai gym, said finding sales channels has been a stumbling block for many gyms. It is difficult for businesses to directly draw foreign customers from a specific market, and such attempts can be costly, said Mr Sutthinun.
He created Now Muay Thai as a peer-to-peer platform, where trainers and gyms can establish their own profile. Gyms can manage their customer bookings as well as check daily income in one place.
Mr Sutthinun said this method is more efficient than managing booking through spreadsheets as inquiries often come from social media inboxes.
Customers can book classes with trainers and gyms in a few clicks, write reviews and rate the service. The platform also provides trainers' qualifications obtained through SAT data, he said.
"Our platform can create a network for tourists and gyms around the country," said Mr Sutthinun.
As many Muay Thai gyms have been operating for more than a decade, he said Thailand is ready to promote itself as a sports destination.
Mr Sutthinun said the platform is scheduled to launch in February 2023 and expects to gain 30 Muay Thai gym partners in Thailand, particularly in major provinces that already have regular guests, such as Krabi, Phuket, Phangnga, Surat Thani, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
"Muay Thai should not only be about spectacular shows," he said.
COMBINING SPORTS AND STAYS
On the hospitality side, sports resorts play an integral part in promoting sports tourism destinations, along with government plans to construct a sports complex.
Thanyapura Sports & Health Resort Phuket attracts a large number of athletes and sports teams globally.
Marisa Yenbamroong, the resort executive director, said it is a one-stop destination for sports and health, with specialised services such as physiotherapy, nutrition and various sports coaching.
Athletes can focus on training without being distracted, while individual tourists who are interested in improving their health can also feel at home at Thanyapura.
She said the resort's customers mostly comprise international teams from Europe and Asia, particularly Singapore and Hong Kong.
This year Thanyapura offered a full-time training programme accredited by the International Swimming Federation to 20 Olympic swimmers.
Because they have intense schedules, athletes tend to spend more than leisure tourists, staying for weeks and mostly using the facilities and services within the resort, said Ms Marisa.
She said Phuket is prepared to be Thailand's sports and wellness hub, with strong local communities, an equipped private and public sector, and good infrastructure.
However, Ms Marisa said more work needs to be done in terms of the workforce and marketing. She said the sports tourism industry requires more employees with knowledge of specialised products as customers tend to have specific requirements and high expectations.
To promote Phuket, Ms Marisa said there should be more collaboration between organisations, hosting small events before planning large ones.
In the long term, big strategic events should apply for accreditation or recruiting partners like professional athletics teams to launch a global campaign.
Running routes and cycling routes should also be built in areas where road safety can be assured, she said.
Thanyapura has an average occupancy rate of 50%, with an equal number of individual guests and athletic groups. In the past three years, its market plunged as many events were postponed or cancelled, while high airfares were obstacle for long-haul markets.
Ms Marisa said the recovery pace should quicken in 2023, driven by pent-up demand.
Frederic Varnier, managing director at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort, said the goal to establish the Andaman provinces as a wellness resort hub will provide a massive tourism bump for the region. He said that positive financial impact will spread to stakeholders in other businesses.
The Anantara resort targets luxury travellers who want to take a break from their hectic schedules, said Mr Varnier.
"They are looking for wellness retreats, fitness and training camps with deeply immersive itineraries for up to a week, where everything is included," he said.
Next year the resort plans to offer a cycling camp, yoga and a mindfulness retreat, and an effortless running camp, said Mr Varnier.
He said to attract more quality tourists, the government needs to provide support to local entrepreneurs. The TAT should organise more roadshows and trade events to build awareness of Phuket among inbound markets.
