Thai tourism industry cannot rest on its laurels, EIC warns

[webfact]

Thai tourism industry cannot rest on its laurels, EIC warns
By SUCHEERA PINIJPARAKARN 
THE NATION 
 

BANGKOK: -- ALTHOUGH tourism has remained a key driver of the economy, the state and private agencies involved in this industry should start exploring new source markets and develop new attractions to better sustain growth for the long term, according to Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Centre.

 

Vithan Charoenphon, EIC head analyst for the service sector, said yesterday that over the past five to seven years, tourism had grown by 13 per cent annually, compared with 7-8 per cent in the years before 2010. 

Chinese tourists are the key to the nation’s tourism growth.

 

Chinese are the No 1 travellers to Thailand, contributing 30 per cent of the total. 

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/macroeconomics/30300584

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-11-23

[Emster23]

Laurels? They've got laurels? How did I miss them? Tourism in spite of, not because of, government agencies

[Khun Paul]

Everytime I pass the TAT Office I Udoin Thani it is either shut ,if by chance it is open the staff are unhelpful and almost zero information in English. TAT should look at upgrading and making information customer friendly as werll as employing polite helpful staff.

But as this is Thailand they thik they6 know the answers. so my comments are in reality a complete waste of time.

[DM07]

Rest on it's....WHAT???

[Dexlowe]

6 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Rest on it's....WHAT???

 

Laurels, mate -- plural of laurel, as in Laurel and Hardy. Hope that helps.

[Lupatria]

1 hour ago, Emster23 said:

Laurels? They've got laurels? How did I miss them? Tourism in spite of, not because of, government agencies

Of course they got. There are many Laurel's & Hardy's in the industry.

[MartinKal]

2 hours ago, Khun Paul said:

Everytime I pass the TAT Office I Udoin Thani it is either shut ,if by chance it is open the staff are unhelpful and almost zero information in English. TAT should look at upgrading and making information customer friendly as werll as employing polite helpful staff.

But as this is Thailand they thik they6 know the answers. so my comments are in reality a complete waste of time.

From what I read, the tourist board is really superb at creating artful master plans and presenting perspicacious reports. But from what I see travelling the country and showing guests around, there Is inadequate execution on the ground.

One example that never fails to disappoint is Lamphang.  This place is in the secondary list of big 12 places to visit, especially interesting for returning visitors on cultural tours. Yet when you get there it is completely run down with little attention given to its prized and unique temples, tours by calèche of the teak houses and even forest, the beautiful potteries (exported and sold the world over) and elephants. Look at the neglected potential in that riverside. Imagine Lamphang walking Street with just a few hundred tourists or the Arts Centre with national exhibitions.

By contrast, take a look at highly successful and even more isolated Pai, which in reality has a lot less to offer.  Anyone with a critical eye would conclude the entire town architecture had been masterminded by some marketing guru. From Love Cafe to strawberry wine and Mong artefacts.

Where are the marketing initiatives that should follow through on strategy at ground level? And think of all the work t h at would be generated locally as well as the sustainable uplift in skills.

Edited November 23, 2016 by MartinKal
Type ahead / auto correct trying to take over

[Stargeezr]

When I have travelled around Thailand all  I have seen from  most places

that I have been in, is if the locals do not help them selves promote  their

place, then  good luck with improving their lot. Corruption has and will always

keep Thailand in its present rut  unless the government in power  changes

and actually does its best to improve tourism In Thailand. There  are many

places  that  could do better,  I hope the corrupt people in the tourism sector

get punted  out of their positions.  The  next  year  will show  if there is  any

change  or just  more   of the same old thing

Geezer

[fruitman]

Cannot spea inlit klab, phut pasaa thai mai?

 

 

[williamgeorgeallen]

from what i have seen in pattaya and hua hin they may be better off taking a break from what ever it is they have been doing and let the tourists come back. i know it is not the armies fault for the lack of tourists (only about 33 million this year apparently) as they are busy knocking buildings down.

[elgordo38]

If interest rates keep rising and your friendly banker puts the approved stamp back in the drawer and pulls out the rejected stamp tourist numbers will be in trouble. I think the tourist binge will soon turn into a hangover of the worst kind. To many people are not opening their credit card statements they are just throwing them in the drawer along with their other statements. After all they are such a trivial thing. 

[bark]

5 hours ago, Khun Paul said:

Everytime I pass the TAT Office I Udoin Thani it is either shut ,if by chance it is open the staff are unhelpful and almost zero information in English. TAT should look at upgrading and making information customer friendly as werll as employing polite helpful staff.

But as this is Thailand they thik they6 know the answers. so my comments are in reality a complete waste of time.

TAT Office in Udon, only caters to Thai locals. If you want the TAT office in Udon for international tourists, you need to

drive to Buri Ram. You will be asked to buy two ticket to watch football at the Thunder Castle. then they will answer two questions.  Good luck.

[elgordo38]

Do laurels have thorns in them. The posterior can be very sensitive. 

[Retiredandhappyhere]

So, the previous already-suspect target of 32.6 million has just been increased to 33,8 for some unknown reason and, apparently, in direct contrast to reports from posters on here who are in the tourism business.  Next year, the numbers increase again, this time to 37.3 million, a further 10.35% increase.    Where on earth do they get these figures from?  They have already said that Chinese numbers are down recently, so where are the extra tourists coming from.  The temporary cancellation of the Visa fee just announced (mainly for China) was optimistically expected to bring in about 370 000 or so more tourists between December and February , so I cannot see where this year's extra 1.2 million are coming from apart from Fantasy land. 

 

Perhaps the clue lies (pun intended) in the PM's request that more Thais travel within the country, as this would boost tourist numbers, providing that one accepts that the term does not mean the same as in other countries, normally understood to mean people coming from another country.  It is virtually impossible to quantify "internal" tourists, so TAT can easily manipulate its figures to be sure to exceed its target. and everyone in authority will be happy.

[thaibeachlovers]

As a tourist for many years I agree that tourism flourishes in LOS DESPITE the TAT, not because of it.

In a stroke of absolute genius, many years ago the TAT moved its office from Beach Rd in Pattaya to an unpublished site half way up a steep hill without a regular baht bus route. Perhaps the staff were complaining of too many inquiries, so were moved somewhere they could have a long rest.

 

[taiwanatoa]

This doesn't go over very well with tourists  or anyone else:

Quote

 

http://prachatai.org/english/node/6727?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+prachataienglish+(Prachatai+in+English)

[waldroj]

"...Chinese tourists are the key to the nation’s tourism growth..."

 

Looks like "Quality" tourists are now off the agenda then (http://www.tatnews.org/thailand-pursues-quality-tourism-in-europe-at-itb-2016/) !!!