08 June 2009

Tourism Australia defends decision to close offices

SYDNEY ââ¬' Tourism Australia has responded to last weekââ¬â¢s report by Bangkok-based Travel Trade Report (and carried in TravelMole) on TAââ¬â¢s decision to close its offices in Thailand, Dubai and Taiwan.

TA said it ââ¬Åâœregretted the tone of the report and reiterated that it had worked hard to handle the closure of its Thailand office professionallyââ¬~.

Tourism Australiaââ¬â¢s regional general manager for South/South East Asia, Gulf Countries and International (eastern), Maggie White, said it had been a difficult time and the decision to close the Thailand office, due to economic factors, had not been made lightly.

She added that Tourism Australia had worked hard to ensure employees were treated well and that there had been full compliance with the countryââ¬â¢s (Thailand) labour law requirements.

ââ¬ÅâœTourism Australiaââ¬â¢s manager of Trade Development, Kelvin Yin, who is based in Malaysia, will handle promotions and trade partnerships in just three countries - Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam - and not the much wider region of South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East Gulf States as stated in the report.ââ¬~

TA said the report also wrongly attributed a comment on the business status of the Tourism Australia office in Thailand to Ms White.

ââ¬ÅâœThe Thailand office has been a full-fledged office since 1999.ââ¬~

Tourism Australiaââ¬â¢s statement said Ms White, ââ¬Åâœneither inferred, nor stated that representation status applied to the Thailand officeââ¬~.

TTR reported that outbound tour operators in Thailand, Dubai and Taiwan view TAââ¬â¢s decsion to close its offices in those countries as a set back that would further erode market confidence in Australia.

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