Thailand recovery effort is floundering, says hotelier
BANGKOK – A leading Bangkok hotelier says more can be done to restore global confidence in Thailand’s tourism sector.
Andrew J Wood, general manager of the Chaophya Park Hotel & Resort, told TravelMole†My hotel occupancy this week is almost 80 percent. For the month we will finish February 09 at 60 percent, a drop of 20 percent from last year.
“I am working flat out on marketing my way out of the global slowdown so might be a few points ahead of the average, however across the board the recovery effort is floundering.
“We need action as the 5-star hotels hover at 30-40 percent occupancy and the resorts are facing possible single digit occupancy on their forward bookings radar,†said Wood.
“Much talk has happened now we need funding and action.
“We need a campaign to drive business back to Thailand that was lost to Indonesia, Australia, China, Vietnam and Japan,†Wood added,
“In my view, we need a well-orchestrated campaign that focuses on the wonderful positive aspect of Thailand’s great strengths.
“It needs to draw in all the major arms of the industry, airline and travel agents and accommodation providers.
“The campaign needs to cover a broad range of media: Print, TV, radio, Internet, email and possibly new social networks like Facebook.
“This would be best-achieved with a focused, country-by-country campaign using a global media firm. The budget will be steep but the losses are already enormous.
“We need action and we need activity,†Wood added.
Ian Jarrett
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