FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Thai tourism needs radical overhaul to survive, says former minister

Thai tourism needs radical overhaul to survive, says former minister

The government and the private sector should work together to solve problems faced by the tourism sector, a former tourism minister advised.

Senator Weerasak Kowsurat, who was tourism and sports minister from 2017 to 2019, said at a recent general meeting of the Thai Hotels Association that bringing personnel back is one of the biggest challenges.

To tackle this challenge, he said, the government should use the tourism development fund to reskill personnel so they can learn to do different tasks.

The former minister also advised government agencies and related private organisations to start restructuring the tourism sector and making changes as tourists are starting to return.

He called on the government to come up with ad hoc laws and regulations such as ones for hotels or cruise ships.

The tourism sector could also shift its focus to creative economy, like offering gastronomy tours now that mango sticky rice has been made viral by Thai hip-hop artist Milli, he said.

Weerasak added that with the right laws in place, the tourism sector can offer added value to travellers. He also complained that though tourism operators come up with good plans, they often fall flat due to communication problems. He said that now, especially with the public health care sector also involved, clear channels of communication will help solve problems and make things less complicated.

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