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Source: CNN
The Thai government launches travel incentives in a bid to win back the world’s travelers as government advisories are reduced
Several signs have emerged this week that the world’s confidence in Bangkok is slowly returning following last month’s violence.
On the front page of today’s Hong Kong Standard is the headline “Bangkok’s Back.” The Standard reports that there are some great deals for Hong Kong residents looking for cheap trips to Thailand now that the government has lowered its travel advisory against Thailand from the top warning level, black, down to red.
This is good news for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which says the country needs to focus on domestic and regional travelers from the Middle East and Asia right now given it’s the middle of the low season. In a statement released this week, the TAT says it will work with the private sector to offer special promotions for travelers.
“The proposed tourism recovery packages have to be carefully planned to ensure the most effective returns on investment, especially in view of the fact that Thai tourism is now in the low season,” says the TAT.
The Thailand chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) says it wants the world’s travel industry to throw their support behind the Tourism Authority’s inclusive ‘welcome back’ campaign, which is currently being created based on constructive ‘all for one, one for all’ principles, but notes that cheap deals aren’t a quick fix.
“The problem is not price,” said PATA in a statement released to the media. “The problem is how to show travel buyers and consumers that Thailand is safe, stable and more welcoming than ever. We need a unified, consistent response, not knee-jerk price cutting.”
In terms of travel advisories, many countries have revised their warnings this week. Canada has lifted its warning against non-essential travel to Thailand, but urges its residents to “exercise a high degree of caution.” The United Kingdom too has replaced its previous advice, which advised against all but essential travel to Bangkok and Chiang Mai, now advising travelers to exercise caution if heading there.
The United States recently downgraded the warning advising American citizens to avoid all travel to Bangkok, though it still advises against non-essential travel to Thailand at this time.
In a related development, Abhisit Vejjajiva Popularity Soars in Thailand: Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is fast becoming the most popular PM in Thailand’s history, this week he received the highest confidence vote of any cabinet minister in a survey of people in 30 provinces, Bangkok Poll of Bangkok University.
The Bangkok Poll said it surveyed people around the nation on “How People Feel about the Recent Censure Debate” after the no-confidence debate against the prime minister and other five ministers was over. It did not say how many people were involved.
The people were also asked to cast a vote in favour or against the grilled ministers.
Mr Abhisit received the highest confidence vote (71.7 per cent), followed by Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij (71.0%), Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum (54.4%), Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya (53.6%), Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban (52.8%) and Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul (50.0%).
According to the poll, 43.5 per cent of the respondents wanted the Democrat-led government to continue running the country, while 28.4 per cent of them preferred a House dissolution, 17.6 per cent favoured a cabinet reshuffle, 3.8 per cent wanted the premier to step down and only 1.4 per cent wanted the Red Shirt opposition camp to become a government, the most resounding slap in the face to Thaksin Shinawatra yet.
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