Tourism revival will start with Asia

[Admin]

Tourism revival will start with Asia
Published: 22/05/2010 at 02:50 AM
Bangkok Post: Online news: Economics

The government is preparing a tourism revival promotion campaign, focusing first on China, Hong Kong, Japan and Asean as it tries to restore confidence after a week of mayhem in Bangkok.

Similar campaigns were launched, with success, after the 2004 tsunami in the South, and following the red shirts' riots in Bangkok during Songkran of last year.

China, Hong Kong and Asean are the country's major sources of low-season visitors but they are also highly sensitive about safety and security, said Surapol Svetasreni, the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor.

He said that travel wholesalers and tour operators from China, Hong Kong and Japan were willing to offer tour packages to Thailand as soon as their government lifts their travel advisories for Thailand.

However, he admitted that it would not easy to convince foreign tourists to come back in the short term, given the extensive damage to the Ratchaprasong and Pratunam areas, where tourists like to shop.

Four more countries _ Switzerland, Brazil, the UK and Australia _ raised their travel advisories on Thursday to the highest level. Similar alerts were issued earlier by 14 other countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Spain, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel, Belgium and New Zealand.

A tourism industry executive said the government was increasingly concerned over a sharp drop in tourism revenue this year, as private investment is unlikely to be a prime driver to stimulate the economy this year as earlier projected.

Tourism revenue accounts for about 7-8% of gross domestic products.

Ampon Kittiampon, secretary general of the National Economic and Social Development Board, said it would definitely be hard to see how tourism revenue could play a key part in the economy for the rest of this years.

The industry's recovery, he said, would rest mainly on the ability of Thailand to ensure safety measures for foreign tourists, he said.

Mr Ampon also said it would be inappropriate for Thailand to invest in promotional road shows or inject a huge budget into marketing right now as long as the country has yet to settle its deep divisions.

``It's more appropriate if the country were to invest heavily in roadshows or tourism promotion once the government can ensure law enforcement and after authorities succeed in restoring confidence and safety for foreign tourists,'' he said.