Govt asked to subsidise tour packages
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Proposal for flood evacuees aims to ease their stress, boost business
The government is being urged to subsidise domestic travel packages costing Bt999-Bt2,999 for flood evacuees to help restore tourism.
According to Wirote Sitaprasertnand, former president of the Professional Tourist Guide Association of Thailand, the association has delivered the scheme to Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa.
The packages are aimed at helping rebuild domestic tourism as well as to relieve evacuees from stress caused by flooding.
The association asked the ministry to allocate a special budget from donations to subsidise the packages.
Three packages have been designed.
The cheapest one, at Bt999, is for two days and one night; the mid-range Bt1,999 package is for three days and two nights; and the Bt2,999 package covers four days and three nights.
All three packages include land transport and home-stays in many provinces.
Targeted are evacuees who are staying at evacuation centres and waiting to return home.
Wirote said that under the proposal, each evacuee tourist would pay Bt500 for the cheapest package or Bt1,500 for the more expensive ones. The government would cover the rest.
However, tourists would be required to pay an extra Bt250 if they want to stay at a participating three-star hotel.
Related firms welcomed
“We wanted to help flood victims recover from stress by travelling and also help operators increase their business,” Wirote said.
He also urged four-star hotels to join the campaign to encourage more travellers. Related operators such as restaurants, transport firms and souvenir shops are also being invited to join the scheme.
Wirote said the association had urged financial institutions and government funds to provide unsecured loans for the association’s cooperative members.
“Tour guide business is a freelance occupation. Many of them are in financial trouble at this time due to lack of work,” he said.
Wirote said its members might need up to Bt20 million in loans to renovate their houses and for daily expenses.
