Thailand expects 80 percent decline in arrivals this year
Thailand tourism leaders have once again marked down its tourist arrival forecast for the year.
It now expects no more than eight million arrivals, a decline of about 80%, Chairat Triratanajaraspon, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand said.
Last year it welcomed nearly 40 million.
The country has lifted a ban on international flights but leisure tourism is still suspended.
The sector will recover in 2021, Chairat said and about $50 billion in tourism-related revenues will be wiped out this year.
Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn said it is now firmly pinning its hopes on the domestic market in the short term, and hopes to see about 100 million domestic trips.
The government has approved a multi-million dollar stimulus package to encourageThais to travel.
The tourism ministry said it hopes to open up five islands to foreign tourists from August.
They are Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
We expect residents in these areas to agree to the move because Phuket relies on tourism revenue when you take into account the province’s gross domestic product," a ministry official said.
"To start with, we will limit the number of tourists depending on each area’s capability to effectively screen visitors for Covid-19."
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