Speaking at the pre-launch event for the first-ever bicycle show in Bangkok, scheduled for May, the TAT’s deputy governor for tourism products and business, Vilaiwan Twichasri, said: “Bicycle tourism is a global trend that is capturing the attention of more people and it is an important additional product that boosts the country’s tourism industry.
“The trend will help to boost tourism and create more revenue at local community and provincial level,” she said.
There are numerous cycle tour companies in Thailand and Ms Vilaiwan claims the market has grown by 20 per cent. The domestic cycle market is booming with shops opening in most towns led by some heavyweight stores packed with racing bicycles selling for as much as B200,000.
“Records show the bicycle travel sector earned as much as B900 million in tourism revenue last year,” she added. She did not elaborate on where she got the figures.
Cycle tourism has been around for decades in Thailand, but was mainly led by groups from the Netherlands. Most of the tours start outside Bangkok and head north or to neighbouring Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The B30-million budget Bangkok Bike 2013 event will run from May 2 to 5 at Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi.
The fair will promote itself under theme “Let’s go green” with an emphasis on recreational cycling and routes including presentations by travel gurus who have taken up cycling. The TAT predicts the show will see a turnover of B200 million.
The Thai government recently said it was reviving the cycle license to improve safety and road sense. Previously the license was issued by the Land Transport Department, but was largely ignored by the cycling community.
Safety is a genuine concern, mainly due to poor vehicle driving standards. Two English people, Peter Root and Mary Thompson, who had cycled through Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and China, were hit by a truck and killed on February 13 in Chachoengsao.
On March 21 another cyclist was killed on the same stretch of road, and run over by so many vehicles it was impossible even to tell whether the cyclist was male or female, let alone make an identification.
On the positive side, cycle tourists are generally treated with courtesy and hospitality when travelling through Thai provinces.