TAT, Tourism Operators Map Out Hat Yai Recovery

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TAT, tourism operators map out Hat Yai recovery

Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit

The Nation

Hat Yai, Songkhla

HAT YAI: -- Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) officials yesterday met with tourism-industry representatives in Hat Yai to discuss in detail how to rebuild the sector in the wake of last week's car-bombings with the aim of getting it back on track within three months.

Car-bombings in Songkhla province's Hat Yai district killed three people and injured 371 on March 31.

More than 18 representatives of local and national tourism and hotel associations, and more than 30 officials from the TAT, the Tourist Police and other agencies, participated in the talks.

It was the first meeting to include key executives from both the TAT's local and overseas networks, including staff based in Singapore and Malaysia, two key markets for Hat Yai.

TAT governor Surapon Sawetserani said the agency was willing to support the local tourism sector in all possible ways. Short-, medium- and long-term solutions would be found to stabilise the industry, he said.

In the very short term, the TAT has teamed up with local operators to move ahead with the Hat Yai Midnight Songkran Festival. This would be a good way to boost confidence among tourists, the governor said.

Operators urged the TAT to deliver a message to key countries, especially Singapore and Malaysia, that Hat Yat is safe to visit. To this end, aggressive marketing campaigns should be launched, similar to those used by the TAT to help rebuild Phuket's image as a destination after the tsunami in 2004, they said.

Big events

Tour operators urged that big events such as a "Grand Trip to Hat Yai" be held. Media outlets from Singapore and Malaysia should be invited to see the situation on the ground and to report on Songkran festivities in the area, they said.

For their part, it was agreed that a key strategy would be for operators to cut hotel surcharges and room prices to lower the cost of stays by 30 per cent overall. Somchat Pimthanapoonporn, president of the Tourism Council of Songkhla, said the initiative had received the green light from operators, including 2-to-4-star hotels. It is expected to get a good response among tourists, especially foreigners who are in two minds about visiting.

Room cancellations of between 30 and 60 per cent have been reported, especially among Malaysian tourists. Hat Yai has about 15,000 rooms in total.

Somchat put the cancellation figure at only 20 per cent, however. "I think the outlook for 'Hat Yai Midnight Songkran' this year will be as good as last year. Given the uncertainty, I believe only 20 per cent of the tourists will fail to show."

Songkhla is Thailand's third-most-popular tourist destination, behind Bangkok and Phuket.

Governor Grisada Boonrach said the province would propose that the government help operators access funds more cheaply by offering them the minimum lending rate minus 2.75 per cent, and urged the introduction of tax incentives.

In the long term, the province will have to increase security measures, especially at hotels and department stores, with guards being trained professionally to search for explosives. Explosives scanners would also be installed, Grisada said.

The atmosphere in downtown Hat Yai was pretty quiet yesterday. One local person said that, given the long weekend, the city should be crowded with Thai and foreign tourists, especially from Malaysia.

-- The Nation 2012-04-07

[ricardofel]

TAT...incompetence at the lowest level. They have decided to give every tourist squirt guns to protect themselves....seems like a good idea.

[Payboy]

I searched and searched but couldn't find the B word. Hope they can announced the required budget soon.

[clockman]

All they think about is money, not any concern about tourists safety. This problem with insurgents, is not going away, anytime soon

[IAMHERE]

Get the banks to forego the 150 baht ATM charge in these provinces for 3 to 5 transactions in any 15 day period.