$100,000 reward if you catch SARS
Thailand: Government makes desperate offer in bid to revive tourism
The Thai government has taken the outrageous step of promising any tourist who catches Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) while visiting the country, that it will pay them $100,000.
According to the Financial Times, the country’s authorities are desperate to revive the tourist trade after it was decimated by the onset of the disease. In April, arrivals at Bangkok international airport were down 46 per cent and projections for May are no better. It is several weeks since the country was declared a “SARS-free zone” and only reported eight cases of the disease, which authorities say were almost certainly contracted in other countries.
The FT says Thai Airways had already guaranteed a payment of $100,000 to anyone who could prove they were infected on one of its flights. The country’s tourism minister Sontaya Kunploem said: “We are ready to make the payment to boost the confidence of tourists who come to Thailand.”
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive