Thai hoteliers upbeat despite Bangkok bomb scare
Sunday night’s bomb attack which rocked Siam Paragon shopping mall should not have a lasting effect on tourism, Supawan Tanomkieatipume, marketing chief for Thai Hotels Association, said.
She said it is expected to affect tourist numbers during the upcoming Chinese New Year but this will be a temporary blip.
However if the perpetrators were found to have links with political parties it could have a greater negative impact.
"Though no lives were taken, it might still destroy the country’s image and confidence of tourists. However, there is nothing major to worry about right at the moment, as there have been no cancellations or queries from partners overseas," said Supawan.
"Hotel operators have already received a lot of advance bookings from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, as well as many other countries from Asia."
Suprawan said Thai tourism had recovered last month, up 15.9% compared to a year ago and mainly fuelled by Asian visitors.
Tourist police numbers will be beefed up in Bangkok and tourist areas and Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said tourists would continue to visit as they accept the political situation.
"The government has already explained the reason why martial law is necessary, and it does not impinge on people’s daily lives and on tourists. Life has continued as normal after the Sunday night blasts and Siam Paragon has opened as usual," she said.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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