ExPratt Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) BANGKOK, Thailand - Experts say the government needs to get serious on the long-term development of the tourism industry, and decide whether quality or quantity - that is, sheer numbers of tourists or how much they spend - is of most importance. According to Ben Montgomery, chairwoman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association's Thailand Chapter, PATA's latest marketing study suggests Thailand could see 50 million annual arrivals by the end of the decade, double the 24.8 million it welcomed last year. She said the association was concerned about the possible long-term impacts of such an influx, placing a strain on the country's resources and triggering social problems. Ben and other tourism experts question whether the Kingdom can guarantee that many people a pleasant and safe experience during their stay. Full Article http://www.eturbonews.com/55798/thai-tourism-must-decide-decide-whether-it-wants-quality-or-quan? utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Eturbonews-TravelAndTourismIndustryNews+%28eTurboNews+-+for+the+global+travel+professional%29 Edited February 22, 2015 by ExPratt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExPratt Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Some quite startling figures predicted over the next decade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benalibina Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Tourism triggering social problems....hmmm interesting way of looking at it...without really knowing what she meant with it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Fiddlesticks Posted February 22, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 22, 2015 Ben and other tourism experts question whether the Kingdom can guarantee that many people a pleasant and safe experience during their stay. Well let's ask the wife of the round-the-world bike rider. Thailand has a responsibility for the safety of the tourists it attracts to it's nation but it is very plain that Thailand is not prepared to do that nor does it appear that there is a serious effort to remedy the problems that plague this nation and endanger it's visitors. Thailand does not DESERVE to have tourists visit its country. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeijoshinCool Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 It's a moot question. All TAT does is make big predictions and promise Lance Armstrong will be showing up in bicycle shorts during martial law because it is a safer environment, while various other Thai officials are doing all they can to destroy the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExPratt Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 I don't think they are actually seriously debating Quantity or Quality , with 50 million Tourists predicted for the future I'd say they wont be turning people back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm not sure that Thailand is in any position, to dictate which sort, that's up to the market ? Quality is IMO a goner, no quick-cleanup of a few beaches is going to be good enough, to compete with the many better alternatives. And the former-reputation for being cheap-and-cheerful, well that's no-longer all-that-true, either. Perhaps just carry on running, with whatever gets off the plane ? Oh, and have the TAT declare numbers 'up by 12.73%', regardless ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisinth Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I have to wonder what market study forecast more than a 100% increase in tourism for Thailand in less than 5 years? Certainly doesn't ring true with any trend that i have seen. But that's by and by. IMHO, what Thailand need to be looking at is a bit of both, and not to target either quantity or quality. They need to plan their infrastructure to accommodate the predicted numbers, but they also need to clean their own back garden first to ensure to the best of their ability a safe visit to Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n210mp Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 The the leaders of the Thai nation, particularly TAT do really shoot themselves in the foot dont they, every time they come up with spurious and daft predictions. When a person, company government or political party BS not only themselves and the people whom they are trying to impress, then usually fall on their faces big style. As Ricardo mentions the marketplace will rear its head and decide the issue one way or another. For the Eastern and limited spending tourist that come from Countries that are denied full media coverage of the antics that go on in Thailand then I dont think it will make much difference but for those from the West and more advanced Countries who are being made constantly aware of the scams, violence perpetrated on tourists and lack of proper law and order then it must in all conscience make a massive difference When you throw in the lack of any real police protection, the lack of any proper driving code and the state of most places where safety has not been attended too at all, you have a perfect scenario for a tourist disaster. TAT does not mention the dolorous state of most of the bigger spending western countries either USA, europe Oz or Russia. The Chinese mostly take package tours organised and paid for in their own country of origin and its said spend little and only on their already bought within that package, outings to tourist traps especially set up for them. The ability of not only the Thai man in the street but supposedly highly intelligent government leaders to be hoodwinked by what can only be described as "propaganda" is still amazing to me after many years of trying to understand the Thai "psyche" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbanda Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thailand needs urgent investments in road safety and infrastructure, specially good signalization. Now more than ever. I do not drive in Thailand, just because I will be dangerous. I am left side driver, and spoiled by US roads. My Thai wife drive, I just close my eyes. But Yesterday, on the way to Chiang Kong, fast caravans of Chinese cars were passing us. I counted more than 30 in 2 hours drive. A recipe for serious accidents on some 2 lanes road with little maintenance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mencken Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I think after this year, it will be happy eith anything 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mencken Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Thailand has set itself up for years as a quantity player. Its infrastructure lends itself to proletariat holidays in the sun. Hate them or love them its backpackers and cheap chatlies that have made this industry for Thailand. From b500 a night rooms in Pattaya to the bungalows of Phanghan. Next time you are in an intl airport outbound, look who you are traveling with! Who retire here? Its the working class. Wealthy people have no need for this place other than a one week, once in a lifetime temple tour by bus. You will get well heeled people here, once. But more than likely, that's already happened given demographics. Especially in the wake of the government chasing out all the long stayers, the others on proper visas, the destruction of Pattaya beach, the remival of chairs in Phuket. The strong baht, very weak EU currency. Collapsing economies of much of the world. Thailand will only be seeing package Chinese tourism until yhat bubble bursts as well. It would behoove the nation to treat its expsts a bit better - foreign nationsls are just "free money" to the economy. Mark these words - Thai tourism is rocking and reeling. How long can tbose massive hotels go vacant without the banks knocking... Thailand chased the only people that were still interested in it away. It will have great difficulty regaining western tourists. Thailand will start to forge greater relations with China. PS: Russia is sort of finished but ask your best Thai mates or wife what they think of Russians and Chinese. They will look back fondly upon the western folk if not already. Issan might have some serious incone issues as neither groups are fond of the dusky types. Russians have prejudice against Asia historically. Oh, did I mention Russisns flocking to Vietnam? Edited February 23, 2015 by Mencken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maisodni Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Think about what 25 million additional tourists per year means. Even if you assume five persons per room (!!), if a visitor stays one week in Thailand on average, that mean the number of required room nights for first night of visit is (25,000,000 divided by 5 = 5,000,000 rooms - divided by 365 days = 13,698 rooms per first night, on average. But - to cover a one week stay by each visitor - you need seven times that many rooms. That would be 480 hotels, with 200 rooms each, full to the brim. If you put just 2.5 persons per room (?), that would mean that you need almost 1,000 hotels - at 200 rooms each, to hold the additional influx There is opportunity there - for construction employment, hotel employment, and employment to provide all the goods and services needed - but it will also put a lot of strain on a country with only 68,000,000 citizens. MS Edited February 23, 2015 by maisodni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuibeachcomber Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I dont think thailand is in any position to choose well heeled tourist or cheep charleys or backpackers. Instead they should be happy with whatever they get. Yes the locals can get fed up with too many tourists in one place at one time,but a bigger problem i see is when there are too many foreigners living in one place all the time(expat emigration).....many are rude and disparaging towards their hosts,and thai blood starts to boil! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nev Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Quality tourist benefit the rich, quantity tourists benefit the average Thai. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko kok prong Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Did Tat not once predict that more humans than actually live on the planet would visit Thailand. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExPratt Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) They wont go for quality , they'll just pile them in. China is such a shit hole that Thailand would have to be like Fallujah after a visit from the US Marines before The Chinese would turn their noses up Edited February 23, 2015 by ExPratt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBill Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 If the western world starts to view Thailand as unsafe then we won't be coming. Unfortunately that reputation is spreading quickly justly or unjustly. I know we are staying home for a while and see how things work out over the next few years. I love visiting Thailand so hopefully things get better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 the approach is complete wrong: quantity or quality....that is one of the most stupid thing I ever read. Make everyone welcome.....Offer high priced perfect quality and let the backpackers life as well. Second the definition of quality by how much they spend is stupid. The backpacker who is just making his second Dr. at University, who loves to learn Thai culture and language, tries to mix with the real people and protect nature is a low quality tourist. Some new rich who doesn't care throws money out of the window is a high quality tourist. (and even the logic that the young backpacker from today is the rich one in 30 years...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Please continue in the topic now running here: The Thai tourism industry's future 'needs hard look' Closed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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