Tourism sector urges formation of new govt soon Skip to main content

Tourism sector urges formation of new govt soon

Suchat Sritama
The Nation May 24, 2014 1:00 am

The tourism sector has called for the urgent formation of a new government to lure back tourists so the industry can continue to grow.

"We need to have a new government as soon as we possible. If not, there would be nobody to deal with and we eventually would suffer a greater negative impact," said Pornthip Hirunkate, vice president of Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT).

The military on Thursday declared a coup and curfew that rocked the inbound tourism industry. Tourists around the world have been advised to consider their security before visiting the Kingdom.

"More than 50 nations have already issued travel warnings to avoid visiting the country. Among these, Hong Kong raised the warning to the top level," Pornthip said.

"Furthermore, tourists, even from long-haul markets like the US, Canada, the United Kingdom and some other Europe countries, have postponed their trips."

A lot of business and leisure tourists have reportedly cancelled trips to Thailand this week.

The TCT, however, believes that the sector could record growth this year if a new government is put in place quickly and confidence in Thailand as a safe destination returns.

The council said next month's Thailand Travel Mart in Bangkok was a chance for the industry to shine.

According to Pornthip, tourism has suffered since the last coup in 2006 while other political issues, including the airport shutdown and street protests, have also had an impact, as did the severe floods in 2011. Despite that, the number of arrivals has continued to grow.

In 2006, Thailand received 13.8 million tourists. By 2013, the number of visitors had risen to 26.7 million, an increase of 19.6 per cent.

It is also worth noting that overseas arrivals to Thailand increased 20 per cent in 2006 compared to 2005.

The tourism sector quickly recovered from the 2004 tsunami disaster that affected many beach resorts, including Phuket and Phang-nga.

"In Bangkok, the streets appear slightly quieter than usual and the general mood of the city seems calm," Pornthip said.

"But everyone in the country, especially in the tourism sector, hopes military rule is lifted soon and democracy restored."

-------- The Nation
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do...
1 comment
Read more

Ancient Rakhine City of Mrauk-U Proposed for UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Irrawaddy YANGON—Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture submitted the final draft of its nomination for Mrauk-U to become a World Heritage Site to UNESCO on Monday, four months after the ministry submitted the first draft of its nomination in September 2019. If the application succeeds, Mrauk-U will be the third place in Myanmar to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after the ancient cities of Bagan and Pyu. Mrauk-U is located in northern Rakhine State, around 60 km from the state capital of Sittwe. The ancient city was the seat of Arakanese kings from the 1400s until the late 1700s. At the height of their power, they controlled an area covering large parts of eastern Bengal, modern-day Rakhine State and the western part of central Myanmar. Much of the city’s remains are well-preserved and some 380 historic temples are scattered between the lush hills of northern Rakhine. Mrauk-U Heritage Trust chairwoman Daw Khin Than told The Irrawaddy on Tue...
1 comment
Read more

Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera

The Life Story of A Distinguished And Outstanding Bhikkhu The Most Venerable Saradawpharagree Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.A World Buddhist Conference took place in Kathmandu during the reign of King Mahindra of Nepal. The Conference was very well attended by over one hundred thousand Buddhists from various parts of the world and it was opened by King Mahindra himself. As requested by the King, Saradawpharagree blessed all the participants with the power of Triple Gems...
Post a Comment
Read more