Last year, soft power proved to be extremely powerful in promoting Thai tourism. According to the Bangkok Post, it was thanks to the effective use of cultural and culinary elements that Thailand attracted a large number of international tourists. Tourists do not simply come to Thailand to relax but also want to explore and experience the lives of local people, learn about the unique culture and cuisine of this country.
In 2024, Thai tourism witnessed a very special phenomenon with the appearance of unexpected "stars": Butterbear (Nong Noey), Moo Deng pygmy hippo, Ava tiger and Labubu. These adorable cartoon characters quickly captured the hearts of tourists, becoming the new symbol of Thai tourism. The harmonious combination of cute appearance and interesting stories surrounding these characters has created a strong attraction, attracting tourists from all over the world to the land of golden temples.
Lisa creates a "billion-dollar" fever for Labubu
After just one photo posted by Lisa Blackpink on Instagram, the Labubu Macaron doll toy became the center of attention of the online community. The influence of the top Kpop female idol caused this product to "sell out" in a short time. Thousands of fans around the world rushed to buy this toy, making Labubu Macaron one of the hottest phenomena of the year.
Labubu are elves who live in the forests of Northern Europe, created by Pop Mart artist Kasing Lung in 2015. This “toy monster” has 9 teeth, pointed ears, and is mischievous and mischievous, but also exudes a cheerful and optimistic look. Labubu, along with his elves friends, make up The Monsters and have attracted a large following around the world.
The creation of the sought-after art toy - Labubu is currently attracting the attention of global enthusiasts,
The main store saw long lines and products sold out during live broadcasts. A Labubu toy, which originally cost 99 yuan ($13.6) in China, is now selling for 2,590 Thai Baht (512 yuan) in Thailand. Many young people stayed up all night, "camping" in line to buy Labubu.
Due to Labubu’s popularity, many Thai tourists in China buy the toy as souvenirs for friends back home. Xiao Tong, a Chinese woman working in Bangkok, told the Global Times that in a lucky draw organized by her company, the first prize was a smartphone and the third prize was a Labubu toy. Many of her colleagues were even more excited about winning the third prize than the first prize, she said.
LABUBU is one of the characters from the Monster Kingdom, created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and inspired by Norse fairy tales.
Moo Deng, the adorable 2-month-old pygmy hippo, has become a shining star in the animal world and one of the main attractions for tourists to Thailand. With his chubby appearance, big round eyes and funny actions, Moo Deng has quickly captured the hearts of millions of people around the world. Images of this tiny hippo have flooded social media platforms, making tourists curious and wanting to come to Thailand to see him with their own eyes.
Moo Deng's popularity stems from the videos of the pygmy hippo posted by zoo staff on TikTok and Instagram. In these videos, viewers are amused by the almost constant "angry" expression on Moo Deng's face. It seems like anything can make this two-month-old pygmy hippo unhappy, such as watching his mother eat, being teased by staff, especially bathing... And Moo Deng will react by biting, luckily at only two months old, he has no teeth yet.
"Rising star" attracts many tourists to visit Thailand
Moo Deng’s videos have attracted millions of views, drawing thousands of visitors to the zoo, with some saying they woke up at 5 a.m. and drove two hours from Bangkok to Chonburi to see the rising star.
The zoo director said that normally, during the rainy season like this, the zoo only receives about 800 visitors a day. But now, on weekdays, the zoo receives 3,000 to 4,000 people; on weekends, it is about 20,000 people. Most of them line up in front of Moo Deng's cage to see the baby hippo.
This little character contributes to the tourism profit of this country.
Sự thành công của các chiến dịch marketing với Labubu, Moo Deng và nhiều linh vật khác đã cho thấy tầm quan trọng của việc sáng tạo và tận dụng các xu hướng mới trong ngành du lịch. Việc tạo ra những hình ảnh, câu chuyện hấp dẫn xung quanh các linh vật này không chỉ giúp thu hút sự chú ý của du khách mà còn tạo nên một dấu ấn đặc biệt cho du lịch Thái Lan.
rong tương lai, chúng ta có thể kỳ vọng sẽ thấy nhiều hơn nữa những sáng tạo độc đáo dựa trên các linh vật, không chỉ ở Thái Lan mà còn ở các quốc gia khác trên thế giới. Điều này sẽ góp phần làm phong phú và đa dạng hóa ngành du lịch toàn cầu.
