Thailand Tourism Minister wants explanations to ease fears of wary tourists
Report from Bangkok say that Thailand’s Tourism Minister wants officials stationed abroad to ease fears of tourists in key developed countries after several governments warned their citizens against travelling to Bangkok after the New Year’s Eve blasts.
Malaysia yesterday advised its citizens to exercise caution when travelling to Bangkok, saying the situation was ”unpredictable” after the bombings, ”Our citizens need to take extra precautionary measures if they are intent on making a trip to Bangkok due to the unpredictable situation there,” Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said, according to the official Bernama news agency.
Australia, the United States and Britain issued similar warnings immediately after the attacks, urging their citizens to avoid all public gatherings and to remain extra vigilant.
Suvit Yodmani, the Tourism and Sports Minister, has instructed overseas officials of both the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Commerce Ministry to help explain the government’s tight security measures in the wake of the bombings, which wounded eight foreigners, with security beefed up at popular tourist spots for foreigners, such as Khao San Road and Patpong Road, he added.
TAT claimed Wednesday that so far no foreign travellers had cancelled plans after the bombs in Bangkok, with Suraphon Svetasreni, head of the crisis communication centre and a TAT Deputy Governor, saying that reports from TAT’s overseas offices in New York, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Seoul, Osaka and London found no cancellations.
Normally, about 800,000 to one million tourists from these markets come to Thailand each month in the high season, ”Only 30 Malaysian tourists cancelled their participation in the Royal Trophy Golf Tournament (yesterday and today) in Chon Buri province,” said Mr Suraphon.
Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), confirmed the report, adding, ”There are not any cancellations from European and Scandinavian tourist arrivals”, but he admitted that it was too early to make conclusions and said that five industry associations would meet today to assess the impact.”
Anake Srishevachart, the Inbound President of the Thai Japan Tourist Association, said tourists would not suddenly cancel plans, and the real picture could be seen in February or March.
“Our hotel has seen a dramatic fall in the occupancy after the bombing”. “We were nearly 100% booked prior to the bombing and now you can walk in and get rooms,” said a source at one five-star downtown hotel near the site of one of the New Year’s Eve bombs, ”People are afraid and cancellations have been high,” he said.
The market for Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) also would not be hurt, said Kajit Habanananda, Director of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), adding, “Events for the next six months or two years are still on schedule and participants in Mice activities typically prepare trips a few years in advance.”
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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