TAT seeks Bt300m for rehab activities
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The Tourism Authority of Thailand is asking the government for an extra budget of Bt300 million to run rehabilitation events, although the Loy Krathong festival had to be postponed in Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Suphan Buri.
“TAT will continue many events with the hope of helping restore domestic tourism after the flooding,” Vilaiwan Twichasri, TAT’s new deputy governor for tourism products and business, said yesterday.
About 185 tourist attractions in 15 provinces have been affected by the disaster, he said.
TAT is planning to use Bt125 million to support events in the provinces from next month to early next year including the New Year Countdown, Chinese New Year, Light Festival and Ice Dome in Hat Yai, Balloon Festival in Chiang Mai and Music and Dance Festival in Phuket.
The remaining Bt175 million is earmarked for special fairs and additional events such as a medical and spa expo. They will focus on the high-end market, which has largely escaped the flooding.
Cross-region travel will be promoted to help restore tourism especially in Bangkok and the Central region.
Many events are planned to help rebuild affected areas.
Loy Krathong is still on schedule in many other provinces such as Sukhothai, Tak, Chiang Mai, Samut Songkhram and Phitsanulok, as well as Hat Yai in Songkhla.
The Central region has had the most flood-hit attractions with 161, followed by 22 in the North and two in the Northeast. Only the South is still safe from flooding.
Tourism recovery plans will continue in 2012 with new campaigns called “Creative Tourism – Only Place in the World” and “Gap Year Travellers”.
Creative Tourism is aimed at encouraging locals and foreigners to visit attractions for the purposes of learning about and understanding places that have no equivalent in other counties.
A Thai-boxing campus and Thai-cooking school will be promoted in the first phase.
Gap Year Traveller will approach new graduates or
middle-aged professionals in the United States, Europe, Japan, the United Kingdom and Australia who want to take a one-year sabbatical to Thailand.
Singapore and Malaysia are likely to move ahead of Thailand in this niche market with projects created specifically to lure this group.
