Royal Cliff Hotel CEO calls for more government assistance to boost tourism
A hotel operator in Pattaya has urged the government to launch measures that would support the country's tourism industry after the Covid-19 crisis.
Royal Cliff Hotels Group CEO Vitanart Vathanakul said the Eastern Economic Corridor policy to promote Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong as world-class tourist destinations would help attract foreign investment.
He added that some of the the government's policies, such as Long Term Residency (LTR) visa personal income tax waiver, also would help attract foreign investors to eastern provinces.
"Some foreign investors also took the opportunity to hold conferences in the eastern provinces, especially in Pattaya City," he said.
He said Royal Cliff Hotels Group has renovated its hotels to be ready for tourism to recover and adjusted the management strategy to maintain the employment of its 600 staff.
"Currently, the group's occupancy rate has risen to around 50-60 per cent compared to 70-80 per cent before the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.
However, he said the number of foreign visitors in Pattaya has dropped, especially travellers from China, Russia and Ukraine where internal problems exist.
He expected China to allow its residents to travel overseas after October, adding that the group is ready to offer promotion campaigns to attract Chinese tourists to Pattaya.
Vitanart also urged the government to launch tourism stimulus measures, especially among domestic tourists.
"For instance, the “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together) tourism stimulus scheme should be extended until 2023," he said.
"Meanwhile, the government should provide financial support for organising conferences and seminars in the country which would benefit other industries as well."
He also asked the government to launch marketing campaigns to boost awareness of Pattaya's image, as the city has changed a lot since the Covid-19 crisis.
"These campaigns would help attract high income tourists to visit the country," he added.
