Bangkok blockade: Hotel employees pay the price
BANGKOK – The closure of Bangkok’s main airports at the height of anti-government protest is now taking a heavy toll on the country’s hotel industry in terms of low occupancy rates and fewer working days for hotel workers.
The Nation reported employees of luxury hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket have seen a cut in their working days as operators try to reduce operating costs without having to lay off workers in the light of plunging tourist arrivals.
Around the region, a check with major tour agencies and airlines found that many clients are still cancelling their trips and heading elsewhere to Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Since last Friday, when Suvarnabhumi resumed full operations, Tiger Airways’ flights have been leaving for Bangkok three times a day without 20 to 50 ticket-holders. “These are customers who have bought tickets but simply do not show up for their flights,” said Tiger head of communications, Matt Hobbs.
Prakit Chinamourpong, president of Thai Hotels Association (THA), said, “Some luxury hotels are running with a single-digit occupancy rate, sharply down from the average 70 percent rate recorded in the same period last year.”
“For the overall hotel industry, the average occupancy rate this month alone has declined 19.1 per cent,” he said, adding that the impact of the Bangkok airports’ shutdown was greater than the 2004 tsunami.
Prakit said some luxury hotels in Bangkok had also decided to cancel their gala dinner packages already booked for New Year’s Eve after customers cancelled reservations.
Local estimates indicate that the closure of the Bangkok’s airports could see the country lose up to 2.3 million foreign tourists.
Airports of Thailand (AOT) said about 15,000 flights had been cancelled during the eight-day closure of airports, but all airlines had resumed operations at Suvarnabhumi International Airport with the total number of flights now close to the usual 547 flights per day.
However, Phornsiri Manoharn, governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), remains optimistic, saying the tourism sector’s growth could be revived as TAT and six other industry bodies plan to launch a series of post-crisis promotional campaigns.
Meanwhile, industry sources said Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the world’s largest international hotel chain operator, is considering the shut down of its regional Asia Pacific office in Bangkok.
Ian Jarrett
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 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports