Smog fails to hurt Chiang Mai tourism sector so far
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Smog that is blanketing the North has not had any impact on the tourism industry so far, but operators have expressed concern that if the problem persists, they will be affected.
There have been no cancellations of room bookings yet in Chiang Mai, which hosts the biggest tourism market in the Northern region. Occupancy rates are averaging 40-50 per cent and some hotels have enjoyed rates of 60-70 per cent. That is similar to the same period last year, said Sarawut Saetiao, president of the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association.
However, if the pollution gets worse, upper-scale tourists will stop coming to the province, as such people have concerns about their health.
At present, 3,000 Japanese and 1,500 Koreans are enjoying long-stay holidays in Chiang Mai.
The tourism scene there has remained normal, partly driven by Chinese. Sarawut believes the province will be a major destination during next month’s Songkran Festival. Four- and five-star hotels are fully booked for April 13-15.
Chiang Mai has more than 40,000 rooms, more than 1,000 of which are in four- and five-star hotels.
He said smog had been a serious issue for the local tourism industry and the association began looking for a long-term solution several years ago. Fortunately, the region has received sufficient rainfall to reduce the problem during the period.
Sarawut said everyone must be in harmony to solve the pollution problem, especially monitoring more closely forest fires started by humans. This is important not just for the tourism industry, but also for the health of residents in the region.
