Destinations knownThe Tourism Authority of Thailand unveils a ‘SEXY tourism concept’ – just don’t mention sex tourism
- The irreverent acronym hopes to tempt travellers back with promises of safety, environmental sustainability and yield
- For a country that has been trying to shed its reputation as a sex tourism destination, it is an interesting move
Despite a distinct lack of international arrivals, tourism bodies are working overtime to ensure that when visitors from overseas can return, they will. Latest among them is the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which has adopted an irreverent acronym to tempt travellers back – SEXY.
Like many acronyms, SEXY is tenuous. “To be rolled out during 2021-2022, the ‘SEXY’ tourism concept is in response to the changes in travel behaviour and TAT’s goal to restore Thailand’s tourism: S – Safety and Hygiene, E – Environmental Sustainability, X – Extra Experiences, and Y – Yield,” states the TAT website.
We don’t know about you, but we’re beginning to feel pretty hot under the collar. After all, nothing turns tourists on more than “yield”, right?
According to TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn, “this ‘SEXY’ tourism concept [...] will help restore travellers’ confidence, while driving recovery for both the Thai economy and the tourism industry to make a comeback stronger than ever”.
For a country that has been trying to shed its reputation as a sex tourism destination, it is an interesting move – particularly as the “concept” behind the campaign is far from saucy, or even audacious. Instead the angle seems provocatively shoehorned in to get people talking. (In which case, bravo, TAT.)