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Bleak future for LOS tourism


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TAT predicts bleak future

by Chatrudee THEPARAT

 

Rising oil prices and swine flu appear likely to hinder the recovery

of the country's tourism industry into the next year, a senior tourism

authority says. "Next year will be another tough year for the tourism

sector, as there are new factors such as higher oil prices and the

H1N1 flu outbreak which have complicated matters for the industry's

recovery," the Tourism Authority of Thailand chairman Weerasak

Kohsurat said yesterday.

 

 

The TAT yesterday held a meeting to draw up a marketing plan for 2010.

The focus of the plan will be on how to maintain the country's major

markets such as China, the European Union and Southeast Asia, while

expanding into new markets such as the Middle East and South Asia,

particularly India.

 

 

The country would also need to promote land transport, especially

among Asean countries, to meet niche market demand in such areas as

mass weddings, golf tours, discounted vacations at beauty and health

spas, and medical tourism, for which Thailand is already well known.

"However, the issue of concern at the moment is how to ease the impact

on local operators affected by the tourism slump," Mr Weerasak said.

 

 

Visa fee exemptions for foreign visitors have not been extended even

though the cabinet approved extension until the end of the year.

Mr Weerasak said Thailand was facing its first drop in foreign visitor

numbers in the range of 15% to 20%. Tourism revenue this year was

expected to be down 20% to 25%. He said the government needed to speed

up the development of tourism-related projects.

 

 

www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/18956/tat-predicts-bleak-future

 

 

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