Interview with Michel Calvet, Managing Director of Asiajet

We often suggest a bangkok-phuket, and vice versa

You've been operating in the region for almost 26 years now. How has the market in South-East Asia evolved?

Michel Calvet - In fact, I took over the business from Jet Tours in 1994 and we've remained French-speaking from the start. We tried our hand at MICE groups around fifteen years ago, but had to give up because there was always something happening. SARS, demonstrations, the closure of Bangkok airport, the tsunami... Then, two years ago, thanks to an opportunity and a little more stability, we got back into the sector. We now have a dedicated department with a customer base that includes laboratories, car manufacturers, insurers, banks, etc.

How many groups have you handled?

MR C. - Around ten groups this year, from 120 to 300 people, for a total of around 2,500 people. The duration of the stay is six nights. But, incredible as it may seem, we are receiving requests for just three nights. This is possible with the arrival and departure times offered by Thai Airways. In fact, this makes for a four-day operation. But we still have to get them into the swing of things as soon as they arrive.

For which typical programme?

MR C. - There isn't really a standard programme and we go to great lengths to adapt to our customers' wishes and seek out new products. In Thailand, it's now possible to do just Phuket. But it's a shame not to discover Bangkok, at least a little. So we often offer a Bangkok-Phuket tour, and vice versa.

In Phuket, which, by the way, has changed a lot for the better, the focus will obviously be on seaside activities, with a day at sea, lunch on a private island, a rum-restaurant, a visit to an elephant sanctuary... As for Bangkok, we're trying to show you the unusual side of Bangkok.

What, for example?

MR C. - Bangkok by bike; or a rally in a dugout canoe; or long caravans of tuk tuks escorted by the police... Once, we even recreated a gambling joint on the banks of the river. But no more. Budgets are too tight now.