The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is targeting Balkan travellers after GullivAir launched a weekly Sofia-Phuket service, TAT said on November 9.
The Balkans remain a small source market for Thailand. Visitors from the region reached 97,655 between January 1 and October 31, up 5.42% year on year, against 6,266,567 arrivals from Europe as a whole. Romania sent 41,758, up 5.40%.
The Sofia-based carrier flies the route with a 240-seat Airbus A330-200. Inaugural flight GBG701 left Vasil Levski Sofia Airport at 16:20 on November 5 and was due at Phuket International Airport at 06:55 the next day.
GullivAir also plans a Sofia-Bangkok route, TAT said.
“The Balkans are an important growth market for Thailand,” said Urai Mukpradabthong, TAT Deputy Executive Director for the Europe Region, who led the delegation that met the first flight.
She added that by connecting Phuket with Krabi and Phang-nga, TAT can “introduce travellers to more destinations”.
TAT’s Prague office is running a familiarisation trip for 12 Romanian travel operators from November 2 to November 10, with Romania’s Unite for Travel and flydubai. The group is touring Krabi, Phuket and Phang-nga under the theme “The Charm of Andaman”.
Each of two business meetings, at Pakasai Resort in Krabi on November 4 and OZO Phuket on November 9, paired the delegation with 15 Thai tourism businesses. TAT is pitching community tourism at Thung Yee Pheng and kayaking at Khlong Root in Krabi to the market.
The push follows the “Value Over Volume” strategy for 2027 that TAT set out at WTM London this month. Phuket has also gained Gulf capacity, with Kuwait Airways launching Phuket flights in October.
Bulgaria sent 15,029 visitors to Thailand in the first 10 months, up 8.07% year on year.
