Hot air over Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai International Balloon Festival, 23 to 25 November, should attract more visitors this year as it precedes the nationwide Loi Krathong festival by just a few days. The Tourism Authority of Thailand Chiang Mai office forecasts the hot-air balloon festival should attract 70,000 visitors and generate Bt230 million to tourism-related revenue. It’s a ball park figure floated by TAT Chiang Mai office to justify  Bt40 million spent by the private sector and the TAT to promote the event, which this year kicks of  in the week prior to the 28 November Loi Krathong festival. Now in its 6th year, the balloon festival will change venues from Prince Royal’s College to the Chiang Mai Gymkhana Golf Club. This year the event will feature r 10 hot air balloon teams including teams from England, Germany and the Netherlands. In addition to watching the huge but graceful balloons floating on northern air currents, spectators can attend music performances one featuring the British group Aruba Red. Tickets are being sold at Bt100 for adults and Bt50 for kids. Tickets are available at all branches of Rimping Supermarket. Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association president, Sarawut Satiew, said that this year Chiang Mai’s tourism business should increase by 10% and generate around Bt40 billion based on advance bookings that will give hotels a year-end occupancy averaging 80%. Usually, the cool season packs in  tourists boosting business for three months, followed by a a low-season when average occupancy drops to 35% Last year, Chiang Mai welcomed 3,853,583 tourists, an increase of 25.16% over 2010. Of that 2,004,999 were Thais and 1,848,584 were foreigners.