Central group presses Thai govt to ensure tourism 'high season' success

[webfact]

Central group presses govt to ensure 'high season' success
SUCHAT SRITAMA,
KWANCHAI RUNGFAPAISARN
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- CENTRAL GROUP has strongly urged the government to ensure the coming tourism high season is a success, while the group's revenue forecasts for its hotel and food businesses this year remain unchanged.

Suthikiati Chirathivat, chairman of the board of Centara Hotels and Resorts, yesterday called on the government to make immediate efforts to rebuild the tourism industry after the bomb blast in Ratchaprasong Intersection on August 17 that killed 20 people.

He said many foreign tourists needed to feel confident about coming to Thailand as they are consider making reservations ahead of the high period starting in October. "If tourists do not feel confident, they may shift to other countries," he said.

Since the bomb blast, Central Group has seen room cancellations and drop in food consumption, suffering total financial damage of more than Bt10 million.

About 3,400 room-nights have been cancelled, mostly at Centara Grand at CentralWorld (900 room-nights), Centara Grand Ladprao (800 room-nights), Centara Pattaya (700 room-nights).

However, several international conferences will still be held at its flagship hotel in Ratchaprasong as planned, including the World Congress of Surgery.

For Central Restaurant Group, sales at outlets near Ratchaprasong and the Siam area dropped by Bt1 million.

Suthikiati said Central Group had proposed that the government extend the permissible length of stay for tourists who carry visas on arrival in order to attract more visitors as well as to stimulate spending.

Furthermore, authorities could offer more privileges to MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition) travellers during this period.

Ronnachit Mahattanapreut, senior vice president for finance and administration at Centara Hotels and Resorts, said the revenue projections for the hotel and food businesses this year remained unchanged as the group had set a conservative target of more than Bt19 billion.

Several new hotel investments have been drawn up including two hotels in Maldives worth a total of Bt3.6 billion. Moreover, its new Cosi hotel brand is set to open in Koh Samui and Chiang Mai by 2018.

Chai Srivikorn, president of the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association, said that shopper traffic in the area had dropped by almost 40 per cent in the first week after the bomb blast, but was now gradually recovering, and was now only 25 per cent below the normal level.

"However, we have found that the number of foreign tourists in the area dropped by 30 per cent. Meanwhile, a number of events and activities scheduled by many international brands have been postponed. This has caused the occupancy levels posted by many hotels in the Ratchaprasong area to drop significantly from 90 per cent previously to only 50-60 per cent today," Chai said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Central-group-presses-govt-to-ensure-high-season-s-30267323.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-25

[MrJohnson]

I do not believe extending the visa length is stay will have significant value in terms of tourist numbers. It is an issue of safety. If tourists do not feel safe they will not come. Catching the perpetrator(s) may go some way to allaying fear but ultimately the calendar will take care of things provided there are no more 'incidents'.

[Chupup]

Once again, its all about "Money " how though can the Government insure a good high season ?

[kingalfred]

Good news! Overpriced, overrated Central. May the downward spiral continue.

[Aussieroaming]

No looking good..poor exchange rates, investments going pear shaped and increasingly volatile markets are all leading to a quiet year for all country's that rely on tourism. Thailand would be better prepared if they accepted a downturn is in the wind and try to drive some value holiday packages for tourists. Thailand is a great destination with a very marketable name, but things this year are conspiring to make it a tough year for tourism.

[Prbkk]

If it all goes south they can retrain as Australian football goal umpires..

[Ulic]

If you want a guaranty by a toaster. It is just not possible to guaranty something you have no

control over. There could be further bombings, economic unrest, particularly in China.

Clean up the garbage across the country, launch advertising campaigns in tourist markets,

give better value and things will improve over time. There is no light switch solution.

[madmitch]

No need to worry. The various tourism groups are always issuing statements as to how they will be improving tourism in Thailand.

They also stated that they were confident there hadn't been any cancellations as a result of the bombing, something that Central Group have disproved already.

Won't be long until the next pearls of wisdom from TAT etc.

[canopus1969]

Any company that allows brown suits should not do well.

[hawker9000]

Once again, its all about "Money " how though can the Government insure a good high season ?

Well, maybe rein in the sources of bad press. 'Like police shakedowns. 'Like inconsistent immigration practices. 'Like unpunished and lightly punished crimes against foreigners. 'Like silly restrictions on alcohol sales that only work to empower corrupt police. 'Like failures to rein in the scams for which Thailand is now world-renowned (e.g., jet skis). 'Like getting taxi drivers to actually follow the rules. 'Like dual-tier pricing. 'Like eliminating PR based on "crackdowns" and "tall words" that everybody knows are meaningless.

Thanks to the internet, all would-be tourist destinations are glass houses how. Smiley faces and pretty speeches were devalued decades ago. Get serious and get real about welcoming foreigners instead of salivating over their over-exploitation and pretending things can be "kept quiet", and they will come. Continued victimization OTOH will have a price.

[Thai at Heart]

Once again, its all about "Money " how though can the Government insure a good high season ?

Traffic some tourists in.

[Sydebolle]

They lost 3'400 room nights accounting for THB 10 millions? That would reflect an average room rate of THB 2'941 - what a load of bull. Maybe it is time to get those oligarch fat a....es from their offices to do some real work in the interest of country and people. Pathetic - voting with my feet and not shopping there nor using Centara outlets for food or accommodation.

[slapout]

The effecient companies owned, run by competent, trained, personal who put the customer first and contine to impress and improve the customer satisfaction toward their service, and/or product seem to be doing quite well in this economic slowdown thru out the world. No cries for taxpayer/ government help from them.

Suck it up get your rear out where potential customers are at your own expense. That is one secert to sucess. If these people can not make a go0 of it, find a real where your paid for your contribution to the profit at the end of the year. I was told a long time ago there are as many ways to save a penny as there are to earn it.

[Oziex1]

3 dorks in suites giving the thumbs up, that will sort it.

[Kannikapor88]

Any company that allows brown suits should not do well.

First I thought you meant BiB exploiting Centara Hotels ...

Last time wife and I stayed at Centara in Udon T., every morning there was freeloading BiB sitting with their mia noi eating breakfast looking like they were the Kings of the Universe ... It was very weird to see and will def mean that we are not gonna return to this Centara Hotel - the quality there was not great compared to CM Centara that is a solid good hotel

[Emster23]

They want tourists to come? How about 1. having a police force that "serves and protects" 2. clean up everywhere. People don't like vacationing in places that look like a landfill 3. implement a real democracy

[elgordo38]

Once again, its all about "Money " how though can the Government insure a good high season ?

2 plus 2 equals 6. Its all in the numbers counting. If their revenue falls then blame the Chinese tour tourists the ones that follow the guy with the red flag. Imaginative accounting.