Thailand plans campaign to revive tourism

Thailand plans campaign to revive tourism

Agence France-Presse, Bangkok

Thailand will launch an international public relations
campaign to shore up its tourism industry, which has been badly
affected by the terrorist attacks in the U.S., reports said
Sunday.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Pradech
Phayakvichien said the campaign would reassure tourists that
Thailand remains a safe destination.

The promotional effort will be aimed at "major markets where
tourists are sensitive to the September 11 events," and will
include an international roadshow by Thai officials, the Nation
daily reported.

Thailand's lucrative tourism sector has also been undercut in
recent weeks by a controversial government crackdown on nightclub
closing hours, according to groups as varied as taxi drivers, bar
owners and economists.

Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun, who has spearheaded the
campaign, has said he was convinced the anti-vice drive would not
harm the tourism industry because tourists came to Thailand to
see "natural beauty."

Among other plans to boost Thailand's flagging tourism is a
bid to furnish the island resort of Phuket with an international
convention center.

Last month, the TAT warned that visitor arrivals over the rest
of this year could be slashed by 30 percent if the U.S. launched
military strikes in retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks.

Pradech said forecasts of an eight percent growth in the
industry over this year had been dumped and a modest 1.8
expansion was now expected.

For the first half of 2001, tourist arrivals in Thailand stood
at 5.6 million, an increase of nearly eight percent over the same
period in 2000.

Arrivals from major markets included East Asia (2,986,703),
Europe (1,175,436), the Americas (326,787), Oceania (200,407),
South Asia (172,247), the Middle East (99,581) and Africa
(42,530), according to TAT.

The poor outlook for tourism is bad news for Thailand, which
is battling to fend off a recession amid a downturn in its
exports as the U.S. and Japan economies soften.