SARS fears sap life out of Thai tourism

SARS fears sap life out of Thai tourism

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok

Wanchai Lerdnirundon does not have much to do these days, except
stare out to sea from his deck chair on the unusually deserted
beach in Pattaya.

With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) scaring tourists
away from Thai vacation spots, there are hardly any takers for
Wanchai's 10 boats, which ferry visitors to outlying islands.

"Normally, there would be 100 customers daily. But since
March, the best I can get is only one group of tourists per week,
or only four to five people," Wanchai, 43, said last week.

He recently laid off 50 of his 60 employees, with those still
at work having their wages halved.

"If they can stand the condition, good. If not, they are free
to go," sighed Wanchai.

"This whole SARS thing, it's worse than the war in Iraq."

The first vague reports of SARS cases in China and Hong Kong
in March fueled a fear of travel throughout the region. The
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) noted that in March, the
number of tourist arrivals dropped about 11 percent -- equivalent
to some 300,000 arrivals -- compared to the same period last
year.

In April, the situation worsened with a 50 percent drop, and
the figure was believed to be 52 percent in May.

The downturn is despite the fact that both the country's cases
were contracted outside the country, and that the World Health
Organization (WHO) has declared Thailand a SARS-free nation.

"This (May) is the worst month we've had," TAT's research and
statistics division head Walailak Noypayak told a visiting
contingent of Indonesian reporters recently.

"The World Tourism and Cultural Council said that the impact
of SARS on Asian countries is five times higher than Sept. 11. If
there is no campaign to help recover the situation, we will lose
about 30 billion baht (about US$726.4 million)."

Tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner for
Thailand after computer parts. Like most Asian countries, it
plunged into the region-wide economic crisis in 1998, but it had
an increase of about 7 percent in the number of tourist arrivals.

In 2001, despite the global travel downturn after the Sept. 11
attacks, it recorded a 6 percent gain in tourist numbers.

Last year, it earned 323 billion baht from a total of 10.79
million tourists, 60 percent of them Asians. While the concerted
efforts to draw Asian visitors in the wake of Sept. 11 paid off,
they backfired when SARS struck Asia first.

Occupancy at hotels in Pattaya and Phuket, for instance, is
hovering around 20 percent-30 percent, compared to the usual 75
percent.

Thai Airways has also suffered; as of May 30, the company
recorded a decline of 300,000 passengers, losing an estimated
five billion baht from April through May.

Passengers were not the only ones afraid of flying. Media
reports also left airline crews nervous, and an education
campaign was launched, explained Suraphon Israngura Na Ayuthya
from Thai Airways' crisis management and operations center.

"Now that the crews are no longer afraid, they are asking to
fly. Unfortunately, they can't because their schedules have been
reduced as we had to cancel thousands of flights last month."

The airline is looking for alternative destinations from SARS-
affected countries by conducting campaigns and promotions for
Australia, Europe, India and the Middle East.

Walailak blames some in the media for scare-mongering.

"It's not Asian media, but that kind of media that are more
interested in worldwide news..the 24-hour reports where we are
all connected by satellite. It makes people fearful..of life."

On the agenda now is bringing tourism back to full health,
with a crisis team holding weekly meetings.

The Ministry of Public Health also established a SARS
information center, to which airlines, agencies and other parties
have to report the latest developments. The center publishes a
daily press release updating the situation.

"Whether the press will be interested to use it on that day or
now, we still publish it. Or else, we get a lot of rumors and
panic like in the previous months," said Supamit Chunsuttiwat
from the ministry's disease control department.

In working with the airport, the ministry installed equipment
and assigned medical staff to conduct screening at the arrival
gates for passengers from affected countries.

"And at least starting June 15, we will also have predeparture
screening," Supamit said.

The ministry has set out to strengthen the services of all
hospitals in the country to deal with SARS cases. The government
has also allocated an additional 600 million baht to help
stimulate the tourism industry, with prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra offering compensation of one million baht to anyone
who contracts the disease in Thailand.

TAT has teamed up with Thai Airways, the Thai Hotels
Association and Association of Thai Travel Agents for a special
tour package called "Thailand Smile Plus".

It offers a free-stay night for every one night paid for, as
well as discounts of between 20 percent to 50 percent at golf
courses, spas and resorts. There is also a lucky draw.

TAT is also promoting the domestic market through its "Unseen
Thailand" campaign, and holding road shows in Japan, Australia
and New Zealand.

Thai Airways has made hygiene a paramount focus, with a plan
to install the most technologically advanced air-cleaning
equipment.

"The problem at the moment is the fear itself, not the
disease," Wailalak said. "We must realize that this disease is a
fact of life. The media has the important role to tell people
that SARS is not as dangerous as we expect."