Sustainability key to avoiding pain while ensuring long-term gains in tourism
SHORT-TERM gain has all too often been the driving force in the tourism industry, despite the long-term pain that this attitude can lead to. This cautionary view is worth bearing in mind when it comes to safeguarding and nurturing the health of the sector here in Thailand over the coming years.
On the face of it, the consistent flow of visitors to the Kingdom gives very little cause for anxiety. While 2016 had more than its share of disruptive factors – the sad passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and unfortunate bombing incidents in Hua Hin and Phuket among them – they didn’t appear to act as a deterrent.
Indeed, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand rose nearly 9 per cent to 32.6 million in 2016, bringing in Bt1.64 trillion worth of business, up nearly 13 per cent from 2015.
Those are undoubtedly impressive figures and ones that give me, as minister for tourism and sports, enormous satisfaction. Nevertheless, it is vital that we capitalise on this strong foundation to lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future for tourism in this country.
Booming visitor numbers are all very well, but the condition of the sector relies on so much more than just tourist arrivals.
In Thailand, we are fortunate enough to have a highly marketable product.
We are blessed with some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, our cuisine and culture are famous for their richness, depth and complexity, while Thai hospitality and the friendliness of the Thai people are also major factors in the country’s enduring popularity with visitors.
Although I could hardly be displeased by the year-on-year growth in visitor numbers, I am also aware of some unfortunate side effects. More people means greater pressure on infrastructure, natural habitats, the cost of living and traditional ways of life.
To complement the government’s vision of “Thailand 4.0”, we need to strike a balance on three fronts. Of course, we aim to maintain the growth in tourist numbers and revenue. At the same time, however, we need to ensure that our heritage is being preserved and that communities in our countryside villages, towns and cities feel as though they are sharing in the success of the nation.
Just as vital is the safeguarding of the environment, which is the responsibility of my ministry. Visitors don’t want to come to Thailand to experience rubbish-strewn beaches and burned-out forests that have been harvested by villagers who have not benefited from the tourism windfall.
Sustainable tourism is about the distribution of happiness. We need to engage and stay on the same page with local stakeholders. We must find ways of persuading them to maintain the local identity.
A small community can serve tourists with just a small selection of high-quality offerings. We understand and promote competition, but a community that becomes flooded with souvenir shops and unremarkable hotels quickly loses the charm that made it worth visiting in the first place.
We must support those not directly benefiting from tourism money in earning supplementary income. Examples of this might include making and selling traditional Thai desserts for a local restaurant or providing laundry services for a hotel. By sharing profits in a cooperative way, it is possible for everyone to benefit from tourism.
We stand at a crucial juncture for Thai tourism. Yes, many of us have witnessed the positive effects of decades of success on our economy and on our status as a world-class destination. Nevertheless, we cannot go blindly forward without careful planning.
To put it in a nutshell: People love Thailand and they love Thai-ness. Therefore, as conscientious caretakers of this country it is our responsibility to ensure that these essential elements are preserved. Our future success depends on it.
As such, sustainable tourism was at the heart of the agenda at the World Travel and Tourism Council global summit, held in Bangkok and successfully hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand last month. Issues in the spotlight included how travel and tourism can play a specific role in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the challenges faced by the sector to ensure it contributes positively to a sustainable future.
KOBKARN WATTANAVRANGKUL is the Minister of Tourism and Sports.
