Tourism officials hopeful mandatory quarantine can be reduced in Q4
Even as the country continues to struggle with its worst Covid-19 crisis since the start of the pandemic, the Tourism Authority of Thailand remains optimistic. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn is crossing everything that the mandatory quarantine period might be reduced to 7 days in the last quarter of the year.
The Bangkok Post reports that Yuthasak’s optimistic outlook is based on the pandemic being brought under control – a situation that currently seems a long way off. Justifying a possible reduction in quarantine, the TAT governor points out that since July 1, just 0.28% of the tourists who arrived under Phuket’s sandbox scheme tested positive for the virus. Other parts of the country are hoping to open to vaccinated arrivals from October, but Yuthasak says the quarantine period must be reduced to attract foreign visitors.
“After the outbreak subsides, we will propose a plan to ease quarantine rules, not only in sandbox areas but the whole country, to generate more travel as many countries have started to reduce the mandatory period to 7 days.”
Currently working off the assumption that Thailand will reduce quarantine to 7 days in the last quarter of the year, the TAT is holding fast to its forecast of 1.2 million foreign arrivals and revenue of 85 billion baht in 2021. However, Yuthasak says that if the pandemic is not brought under control, that forecast will have to be cut.
Meanwhile, the rather ambitious target for 2022 is somewhere between 1.3 and 1.9 trillion baht, according to the Bangkok Post. Yuthasak acknowledges that in order to achieve this, mass vaccination of the population is essential, creating herd immunity and allowing for economic recovery by the end of next year. He adds that in addition to a reduction in quarantine, Thailand needs to recognise all vaccine brands, including Sputnik V, which is currently still under consideration.
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SOURCE: Bangkok Post
