Private-sector input sought
The Tourism and Sports Ministry has been collecting opinions from tourism-sector players in all regions of the country as it maps out its five-year national tourism plan through 2016.
Cities where consultations will be held include Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Surat Thani, as well as Bangkok, where opinions were heard yesterday. After the opinion-gathering phase, the plan will be established and a budget sought from the government.
Dr Suwat Sidthilaw, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said the Thai tourism industry had encountered a changing environment, due to both internal and external factors, especially the planned establishment of the Asean Economic Community in 2015. So it is essential that all parties in the industry share ideas to move the industry ahead, Suwat said.
So far, they have shared opinions on such things as safety concerns, participation from the private sector and environmentally friendly tourism. The government will also organise talks over joint operations with relevant ministries such as Transport, Culture, Natural Resources and Environment, and Public Health.
Chumpol Silapa-archa, the minister of tourism and sports, said in a statement that the move was part of a plan to help increase tourist numbers. Within the next five years, the industry will also be a big revenue contributor to the national economy, to the tune of Bt2 trillion, the minister said.
In 2011, 19.1 million foreign tourists came to Thailand, dropping more than Bt700 billion into the local economy. It made up 6 per cent of gross domestic product. Previously, the ministry said the number was expected to reach 20 million this year and 30 million in 2015.
Suwat said that in the second half of this year, the tourism outlook remained upbeat and on track to achieve its target. However, risks remain, especially of violent political demonstrations at home. While such external factors as the financial crisis in Europe could hurt the industry, the damage would be slight, he said, because the number of foreign tourists from Asia and emerging markets such as China, India and Russia would offset the missing numbers.
There are also a lot of activities planned for the second half of the year to draw their attention. One is the Race of Champions, which will be held in December. Suwat believes that about 10,000 foreigners will come to see the competition.
