Bangkok--24 Jan--Thai Airways Thai Airways International is to strongly target the MICE [ meeting, incentive, convention, exhibition ] market and offer new Royal Orchid Holidays products for premium customers over the next year, it was announced at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Bangkok today. THAI Executive Vice President, Commercial Department, Pandit Chanapai said THAI’s new strategy focus in 2008 is to strongly sell MICE products to other Southeast Asian destinations beyond the traditional Bangkok market, particularly during low demand seasons and for mid week and less popular flight departure times. “ We want to get an increased share of this valuable market, particularly in the ASEAN countries, including the Mekong Delta. We want to increase our cabin factor by 6 percent this year. The MICE market offers us real opportunities to help achieve this goal,” Mr Chanapai said. He also announced a new strategy of aggressively driving premium class passengers to the Royal Orchid Holidays brand. Best known as a mass market brand to match THAI’s 80 percent economy class customer base, Royal Orchid Holidays is introducing a new product called “ The Great Escape.” The product offers trips to small, exclusive, boutique type accommodation in exotic, and often unusual, locations such Bali, Bhutan, Greece, Lijiang in Tibet, Milan, Rajasthan in India, Victoria Falls in Africa, and even an ice hotel in Sweden as well as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket in Thailand. “ With our new partners, American Express, we believe this product will help us expand beyond the traditional Royal Orchid Holiday base to capture more premium class passengers. Again, this dovetails with our strategy of increasing Royal First Class cabin factor to 60 percent and Royal Silk Class [ business ] up from 61 percent to 70 percent,” Mr Chanapai said. The traditional Royal Orchid Holiday customer has not been forgotten, however. Another new offering is “ Family Getaways “ where hotels offer family groups special treatment with everything from baby sitting and a complimentary daily ice cream cup and cup of milk; transfers for trips to Disneyland and mini theatre movie programmes for kids to a kids “ eat free “ programme. Mr Chanapai said THAI has set ambitious “ high hanging fruit “ targets for the year to increase overall cabin factor from 74 to 80 percent. “ We know this is a ‘stretch’ target but we believe if we are to achieve our overall objective of being the world’s premier airline, we must aim high and introduce the necessary strategies, services and products to underpin the overall goal. The MICE and Royal Orchid Holiday initiatives are two good examples of this,” Mr Chanapai said. [ Special Note: THAI also announced today it has won the ASEAN Tourism Association’s ASEANTA Travel Award For Excellence, 2008 for “ Best Asian Airline Programme;” Family Getaways under the Royal Orchid Holidays brand and “Best ASEAN Poster” title ‘Beach Scene at Krabi’. The awards were announced at the ASEAN Tourism Forum on Tuesday ] About THAI at AFT: THAI is a major sponsor of AFT. It has three booths at the exhibition. Its main aim is to settle business with its buyers, exhibit the Royal E Booking Display, introduce Internet Sales, promote Royal Orchid Holidays packages and Post Tour and to provide reservation facilities for participants at the conference.