Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – To promote a high-quality long-haul tourism market and deepen cooperation in the South African market, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) successfully held the "2026 Thailand Wonderful Journey South Africa Roadshow" in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town from June 22nd to 26th. With Emirates Airlines as a core partner, this event focused on precisely addressing the needs of the South African tourism market, expanding cultural and tourism trade channels between Thailand and South Africa, and fully implementing Thailand's "quality-first" long-haul market development strategy.
The core objectives of this cross-border roadshow were clear: to build a regular bridge between Thai tourism businesses and South African travel agencies, expand cross-border cultural and tourism trade cooperation networks, comprehensively showcase Thailand's latest tourism product system, deeply explore the potential of South Africa's high-end and in-depth tourism market, and continuously stimulate local travel consumption demand to Thailand. The event brought together 20 high-quality Thai tourism service providers, using diverse formats such as dedicated market briefings, tourism product presentations, one-on-one business negotiations, industry networking, and tabletop sales meetings to build an efficient platform for government-enterprise and enterprise-enterprise connections, aiming to facilitate no fewer than 1,800 dedicated business negotiations. Leveraging the steady recovery of the South African tourism market and the continued rise in demand for long-haul outbound travel, the event focused on cultivating new cross-border partnerships and further enhancing the awareness and influence of the Thai tourism brand among South African industry professionals.
Chiravadee Khunsub, Deputy Director of Marketing for Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, stated regarding the roadshow that South Africa is Thailand's core long-haul source market in Africa. Local tourists exhibit high loyalty, a strong desire for travel exploration, and a preference for diversified travel products that integrate beach resorts, urban leisure, natural ecology, folk culture, wellness experiences, distinctive cuisine, and high-end accommodations. This South Africa roadshow not only deepens and upgrades the cultural and tourism cooperation between Thailand and South Africa but also helps Thai tourism enterprises accurately match the needs of the South African market. Furthermore, the strategic partnership with Emirates Airlines further highlights the interconnectivity of air routes between the two countries, effectively solidifying the foundation for cross-border tourism development.
She added that this series of events deeply aligns with the Tourism Authority of Thailand's core development strategy of "value over quantity," closely adhering to the global brand promotion theme "Unforgettable Experiences – Healing is Luxury," and aims to establish Thailand as a high-quality international travel destination that combines physical and mental healing value, cultural characteristics, and immersive experiences.
The roadshow kicked off on June 22nd at the NH Hotel in Johannesburg. The first day of the event included several core sessions such as merchant registration, industry overview presentations, updates on Thai tourism products, Emirates Airlines route and tourism product promotions, and dedicated business negotiations. Kitipod Hongsomboo, Minister-Counselor of the Thai Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, attended the event, fully demonstrating the Thai government's high regard for and comprehensive support of the South African tourism market development.
The event then proceeded to The Capital Pearls Durban on June 24th and concluded successfully on June 26th at the InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town by IHG. Three city-specific events enabled South African tourism professionals to gain a comprehensive understanding of Thailand's latest cultural and tourism resources, destination features, and product information. These events established direct connections with Thai tourism businesses, laying a solid foundation for deepening business cooperation, expanding cross-border tourism, and achieving mutual benefit.
The 20 Thai tourism service providers participating in the event covered all major core tourist destinations and a full range of tourism products in Thailand. Geographically, Phuket accounted for over half of the exhibitors, followed closely by Bangkok, while also including high-quality companies from popular cultural and tourism destinations such as Krabi, Hua Hin, Khao Sot, Koh Samui, and Pattaya. In terms of business type, hotels and resorts were the main participants, with destination management companies and various tourism-related service providers also actively participating, demonstrating a wide product range and strong industry representation.
As a core partner of this event, Emirates' deep involvement fully highlighted the convenient air links between South Africa and Thailand, built upon global hub airports, and strengthened the core advantages of cross-border tourism connectivity between the two countries. This government-business collaboration has further opened up promotional channels for Thai tourism products in South Africa, effectively enhancing the exposure and attractiveness of Thai cultural and tourism brands in the South African market, helping to activate local tourism spending potential in Thailand, and improving customer conversion efficiency.
Data shows that South Africa is Thailand's largest source market in sub-Saharan Africa, with a steady growth momentum. In 2025, Thailand received 72,418 South African tourists, a year-on-year increase of 6.61%; tourists from other parts of Africa reached 196,984, a year-on-year increase of 17.96%. The positive growth trend continued into 2026, with 8,912 South African tourists visiting Thailand in January and February, a year-on-year increase of 4.72%, continuously injecting vitality into Thailand's inbound tourism market.
South African tourists have long favored Thai beach resorts, city sightseeing, folk culture, natural ecology, health and wellness, specialty cuisine, shopping experiences, and multi-destination combined tours. This "2026 Thailand Wonderful Journey South Africa Roadshow" precisely aligns with South African market consumption trends, delivering the latest product information and in-depth market insights to local cultural and tourism partners. It continuously empowers the development of high-quality long-haul tourism in Thailand, helping the Thai tourism industry to cultivate the African market and achieve high-quality, sustainable growth. (End)
