Calls to create crisis centres
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- KEY tourism bodies have called on the government to prepare measures to deal with possible natural disasters in a bid to ensure tourist confidence while travelling in the Kingdom. The call was made following the earthquake tragedy in Nepal that killed thousands including many foreigners.

Charoen Wangananont, president of Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), said major tourist attractions and public areas such as temples, historic sites, airports, shopping malls and hotels also need to have prevention measures in response to a natural disaster.

ATTA members urged officials to establish a communication centre and crisis management unit which people could contact in an emergency.

According to Charoen, in-bound tourism bounced back in the first quarter with more than 20 per cent growth.

He said more foreign tourists were expected to return to the country in the remainder of the year due to the reduced internal political problem.

The ATTA earlier said it planned to organise tourism operators meetings with new business partners in emerging markets in Europe and Asia.

"Seeking new alliances is one of the measures to secure business following a natural disaster," he said. "Many operators have already learnt from previous crises on how to survive by seeking new markets to fill up business."

He said aside from the risk of a natural calamity, tourism nowadays could also face economic instability and an external political crisis, so operators had to seek new markets or create alternative strategies.

Ittirit Kinglake, president of Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said last week that the country needed to have a tourist assistance centre or emergency unit that operated 24 hours a day.

He said the centre should be an active unit that could reach tourists in case of an emergency.

"We claim that we already have such unit but it seems not very helpful. We don't want to experience something as bad as what happened in Nepal or even in Thailand in the past," he said.

The TCT and the ATTA along with Thai Hotels Association have for years proposed that the government establish real crisis communications and a tourist assistance centre that would operate even when there was not a crisis.

"Although the government is currently busy solving aviation safety problems at a local and international scale, natural disaster issues cannot be abandoned," Ittirit said.

Last week, Phuket International Airport held a tsunami evacuation drill following several underwater quakes off the Andaman coast between Wednesday and Friday.

The airport has undertaken tsunami drills seven times since the devastating 2004 tsunami. Other tourism stakeholders such as official organisations, hospitals and rescue bodies have joined the practice.

If there were no crisis for the remainder of the year, Thailand is expected to achieve a revenue target of Bt1.3 trillion from 28 million international visitors.

Source markets that are enjoying positive growth trends are the UAE, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, France, Italy, Spain and Brazil.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Calls-to-create-crisis-centres-30259746.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-11

"According to Charoen, in-bound tourism bounced back in the first quarter with more than 20 per cent growth."

I wouldn't go building Mega disaster shelters off the back of TATs figures

TAT - " You, you, you what you worry crisis, what crisis, no have ".

" KEY tourism bodies have called on the government to prepare measures to deal with possible natural disasters"

How about dealing with the unnatural disasters first?

For starters remove the walking disaster the honorable Minister of Tourism Mrs "wristband" Kobkarn!!

A government, who hasn't manage to fix the lottery prices in almost a year, handling a natural disaster??

Lord have mercy..................

For the ever hungry even the holy cow ends up at a BBQ.

Dealing with natural disaster ... They cant even fix problems with sunbeds and taxis oh the incompetence ...

Come to Thailand!

Land of Smiles, cleaner toilets, and more emergency shelters.

I like it. Adventure tourism is on the rise.

We definitely need tourist crisis centres - if only to find where we can hire a bloody deckchair and an umbrella without falling foul of the law.