Tuk-tuk Tourism To Beat Rain In Trang

[george]

Tuk-tuk tourism to beat rain in Trang

TRANG: -- If it’s raining, forget umbrellas or bus shelters – a tuk-tuk is the place to be! Or so say tourism officials in the southern province of Trang, who hope to stimulate tourism during the rainy season by encouraging tourists to go on city tours in the comfort of their own motorized rickshaws.

Mr. Wichai Ratmanee, president of the Trang Tourism Promotion Association, unveiled the tuk-tuk tourism programme today by noting that visitor numbers tended to plummet each year in mid-May as the monsoon rains hit the province.

As a result, the association has decided to team up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Trang municipal authorities and the local tuk-tuk drivers’ association to organize city tours for visitors.

Under the programme, tourists will be able to determine their own routes and fares for the rides in the specially decorated tuk-tuks.

“We expect a high level of interest, as it’s the first time that tuk-tuks have been decorated with stickers depicting dugongs”, Mr. Wichai said, adding that the drivers would receive training in manners before embarking on the programme proper at the beginning of next month.

A pilot project with 30 tuk-tuks will run from June until August, after which the programme will be expanded to include 200 vehicles

--TNA 2005-04-24