Asian travellers hold the key to the Thailand’s tourism crisis,according to the head of the Thai Hotels Association. The Bangkok Post hasreported THA President Prakit Chinamourphong as saying that tourism operators must focus on short-haul tourists to offset a falling number of long-haulvisitors, who have been hurt by soaring travel costs. “Tourism-related operators should target travellers from Asia such as China,Japan, India and Middle East,”Prakit claimed.
According to Tourism Authority of Thailand figures,occupancy rates in the kingdom’s hotels has actually improved compared to lastyear, with 64.2% of rooms full in the first six months of 2008, compared 61.6%in the corresponding period in 2007. However Prakit said that bookings are nowmade only three months in advance, compared to 6-8 months in the past, apattern more commonly associated with short haul travel.
Methee Tanmanatragul, President of theTHA’s Southern Chapter, agreed, adding that high fuel costs will cause longhaul arrivals to shrink; “European travellers are turning to mono-destinations…Arrivals will decline but those who arrive will stay between 10-14 days,”Methee said.
Comments are closed.