Inbound Tourism Likely Back To Normal By Feb: Thailand

[webfact]

TOURISM

Inbound tourism likely back to normal by Feb

SUCHAT SRITAMA

THE NATION

Inbound tourism is expected to achieve a full recovery from the floods crisis by February, according to the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

ATTA president Sisdhivachr Chevarattanaporn yesterday said international arrivals had dropped sharply since October, when the flood water began to reach Bangkok. The decline is expected to continue until February, but should get back to normal during that month.

"In December, which is the peak month for Thai tourism with a regular 1.8 million visitors each year, the number [of arrivals] is expected to remain at only 1 million. And although we are now seeing new bookings, tourists in many countries are still worried about the flooding," he said. Sisdhivachr added that arrivals from many key markets had plunged during the worst of the crisis in October and November.

Taiwanese visitor numbers dropped by nearly 100 per cent, while Hong Kong was 90 per cent down. Arrivals from South Korea and Japan had fallen more than 80 per cent, while those from China had declined by about 80 per cent.

Anake Srishevachart, president of Thai-Japanese Tourism Business Association, said the association would invite executives from 10 high-yield Japanese travel agents to Thailand this month in a bid to rebuild confidence. It will also hold a "Kam Pa Te [Fight Fight]" campaign until December 15 in a further attempt to regain confidence from the high-end market in Japan.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand yesterday reviewed its rehabilitation plans for the sector.

It will start by focusing on closer, quick-return major markets such as China, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong by encouraging tourists back to the Kingdom during this month and early next year.

Long-haul markets, particularly the United Kingdom and Russia, will be next in line after Asia, as tourists in these countries need more time to prepare for trips.Moreover, the TAT will organise mega-fam (familiarisation) trips to rebuild the country's tourism image and restore confidence among foreign tourists. However, TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni urged operators to avoid cutting the price of packages and hotel room rates, as the cost of travel and accommodation in Thailand is already very competitive.

He said the authority had revised downward this year's inbound-arrivals target to 18.3 million-18.6 million, from the previous projection of 19.5 million. It has estimated Bt35 billion in lost revenue as a result of cancellations due to the flooding.

-- The Nation 2011-12-01

[toenail]

Since I have lived/ worked here (7 years now) there will be some other "crisis"... yellows protesting....reds protesting....another coup... or another act of mother nature...

[cfrmatt]

I think one of the biggest problems at the moment is trying to find somewhere to stay. i for one book to stay in pattaya every new year and have done for the past 12 years..this year everywhere is completely booked up by thai's from Bangkok..lucky for me i have family with a condo but if not i would have had to chose a trip to another country...that's why tourism is down coz you cannot get anywhere to stay

[animatic]

In other words AFTER High Season is over....

Of course this will be when the 'Thaksin Comes Home Riots' start.

Has he missed an early spring to cause trouble in some years now?

[animatic]

I think one of the biggest problems at the moment is trying to find somewhere to stay. i for one book to stay in pattaya every new year and have done for the past 12 years..this year everywhere is completely booked up by thai's from Bangkok..lucky for me i have family with a condo but if not i would have had to chose a trip to another country...that's why tourism is down coz you cannot get anywhere to stay

If you go to Pattaya, yes it will be booked, logically it is the east coast least flooded route to escape Bkk, but other places that are perfectly nice are not over booked. Look around.

[nicky1982]

Britain has entered second credit crunch, confirms Downing Street .. Britain has entered a second credit crunch, Downing Street said on Wednesday night, as America was forced to intervene to stop the eurozone crisis leading to a global financial collapse.

Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8927148/Britain-has-entered-second-credit-crunch-confirms-Downing-Street.html

[Ulysses G.]

GREAT NEWS! Everything will be back to normal for low season.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[elgato]

" However, TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni urged operators to avoid cutting the price of packages and hotel room rates, as the cost of travel and accommodation in Thailand is already very competitive."

Let's not lure tourists with discounts

[Ricardo]

" However, TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni urged operators to avoid cutting the price of packages and hotel room rates, as the cost of travel and accommodation in Thailand is already very competitive."

Let's not lure tourists with discounts

Better (not !) to sting the remaining ones, staying in our half-full hotels, that's the authentic Thai holiday-experience ! With a free jet-ski/gem-stone scam for everyone !

[animatic]

" However, TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni urged operators to avoid cutting the price of packages and hotel room rates, as the cost of travel and accommodation in Thailand is already very competitive."

Let's not lure tourists with discounts

That's why he has theTAT jjjjjjjobbbbbb, he's clueless.

[ETatBKK]

December and Christmas peak will be gone :-(

February is a peak, with millions of Chinese coming from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. good chance to recover, perhaps not as good as a normal year. too soon !

after this, what come next - another colour protest, or another tourist peak ?

[geriatrickid]

I think one of the biggest problems at the moment is trying to find somewhere to stay. i for one book to stay in pattaya every new year and have done for the past 12 years..this year everywhere is completely booked up by thai's from Bangkok..lucky for me i have family with a condo but if not i would have had to chose a trip to another country...that's why tourism is down coz you cannot get anywhere to stay

Phuket is going to be at full capacity within a week or so as the Christmas rush starts. As it is, its a zoo at the airport. Too many pax, too many flights and too many touts.

[Mugg]

Perhaps start advertising in Ducks Unlimited and you might see a small influx

[Soutpeel]

" However, TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni urged operators to avoid cutting the price of packages and hotel room rates, as the cost of travel and accommodation in Thailand is already very competitive."

Let's not lure tourists with discounts

That's why he has theTAT jjjjjjjobbbbbb, he's clueless.

Thai economics 101....supprised he didnt suggest tour operators increase their prices to make up for the short fall...

[SunDaRi]

Pattaya is not fully booked, there so empty rooms in the guesthouse i am staying at Buakhao at 500b a day, 13,000b a month.

[noitom]

These inbound arrival statistics. Does anyone have any real data on the breakdown of these gross numbers? In other words, what's the actual clicker count on the "single/unaccompanied men", the number of obvious "backpackers", the business traveler (euphemism for entertainment spending), and the families with small children and then the pass through onward folks? It would be interesting to run some numbers on these TAT figures. We know that the "single/unaccompanied men" are not coming here to tour temples and see elephant stunts, and it's fair to assume that most of them are headed to "entertainment venues." The backpackers are not typically big spenders, and the business travelers will head for the expo by day and the entertainment centers by night. So that leaves the segment/s unaccounted for the miscellaneous vacationers, married couples and families..etc.

TAT knows the breakdown, but to actually smoke out the true numbers would be difficult as I am sure that they paint over the sex and entertainment trade so as to conceal the actual number or not admit to it at all. That's the biggest laugh of all that all the traveler arrivals and all the money spent on the sex trade and because of it are always aggregated into the general tourism arrival and revenue figures by TAT. The reality is that the Thai tourism business for truly "legitimate purposes" - temples, elephants, rice fields, monuments, shopping markets, has been in decline for years while it's been propped up by the sex and entertainment trade. The information put out by the government and the press on tourism is delusional. Do the Thais actually believe that visitors and foreign residents don't get the idea on what Thailand is all about on their second day? They live in total denial about who they are and what they are all about.

[silsburyhill]

I think one of the biggest problems at the moment is trying to find somewhere to stay. i for one book to stay in pattaya every new year and have done for the past 12 years..this year everywhere is completely booked up by thai's from Bangkok..lucky for me i have family with a condo but if not i would have had to chose a trip to another country...that's why tourism is down coz you cannot get anywhere to stay

No that's NOT why 'tourism is down' in LOL, Pattaya. Pattaya, being the closest 'retreat' from the ongoing parts of the metropolis that are still flooded. Try Phuket (too far). There's no one here. Thank Buddha.

Edited December 1, 2011 by silsburyhill

[webfact]

Tourist Arrivals Expected to Rebound after Floods

Suvarnabhumi International Airport expects the number of tourist arrivals to pick up between December and the first few months of next year after the flood situation has significantly abated and many countries have lifted their travel alerts for Thailand.

Director of Suvarnabhumi International Airport Somchai Sawasdeephon expects the number of tourist arrivals will return to normal during December to February as several countries have revoked travel advisories to Thailand now that the flood situation is easing.

He said his office will jointly launch a public relations campaign with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to shore up confidence among foreign travelers, especially those from major markets like India and China.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, in cooperation with King Power Duty Free, is organizing a lucky draw to commemorate its fifth anniversary for purchases made at the airport.

Five names will be drawn and each of the winners will receive a one million baht cash reward.

The competition lasts two and a half months and is open to both local and international participants.

The campaign is expected to help boost spending at the airport by 700 million baht.

-- Tan Network 2011-12-01

[MikeOwen]

Since I have lived/ worked here (7 years now) there will be some other "crisis"... yellows protesting....reds protesting....another coup... or another act of mother nature...

In the article about the poor lady dying after falling from an elephant toy where against Thai Knocking , in this article you have completely changed your views , strange person

[mommysboy]

Are they getting all muddled up with percentages again? a 100% drop means literally no one arrived from Taiwan.

Basically, the news and headline appears to be 'the spin of all spins', encasing some truly dire figures in a cloak of mere future hope.

[mommysboy]

GREAT NEWS! Everything will be back to normal for low season.

No, not will, might be back to normal, there is a difference. And yes the percentages might well be back to par, but the raw figues for the year will be well down as high season looks to be a wipe-out.

[schnazzy]

Pattaya and Jomtien are not fully booked, not even close. Yes there may be your favorite hotel doesn't have any rooms available and maybe in fact that actually means the rooms are fully occupied too (instead of being repaired or remodeled). However, there are hundreds of places with rooms from 400b (not so great) to 700b (not great but near walking street) to 3000b+ a night on the beach in Jomtien.