Tourism chief appeals for patience, but admits things will “never be the same”

“The primary source markets would be Northeast Asia and the ASEAN countries, with a customer target of people in good health and high-purchasing power.”

Patience is not only a virtue, but a necessity, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn. The TAT chief is appealing to the Thai tourism industry to be “patient, united, and confident in weathering the current crisis”, which he predicts, under a best-case scenario, will almost certainly be over by 2021 (although he didn’t state ‘when’ in 2021).

Yuthasak was speaking to the Thai Hotels Association and said that, although this was the worst of the many crises that Thailand has experienced… “it will be overcome with the same spirit of solidarity and unity like in the past”.

He noted that tourism was Thailand’s “largest foreign exchange earner and job-creating industry” and would lead “into a new future that would see creative and innovative solutions being applied to building a more sustainable and resilient industry”.

The Governor said he did not want to focus on how much pain the industry had suffered, but rather on how to prepare positively for the time when a vaccine would be found and restrictions on international travel lifted (the “pain” has been significant with an estimated 2.5 million tourism and hospitality-related workers losing their jobs).

He speculated that, under a best-case scenario, if there are no more disruptions, TAT projects 20.8 million international visitors next year, about half the record arrivals of 39.8 million arrivals in 2019.

The TAT, working with Thailand’s public health department and CSSA, have come up with numerous pilot ‘plans’ to relaunch tourism, giving the industry’s player hope, only to have the plans scuttled in later announcements. The end result is that nearly six months after Thailand’s borders were closed to international tourists, the borders remain largely sealed except for returning Thais and a handful of international visitors and expats that fall into specific categories.

“The primary source markets would be Northeast Asia and the ASEAN countries, with a customer target of people in good health and high-purchasing power.”

The crisis had created an opportunity to deal with old problems; such as, illegal hotels, tour operators and guides, waste problem and tourist exploitation. “I would like to see these problems disappear along with COVID-19. Let’s rebuild the industry. How can we learn to play a new game? How do we create this new future together?”

Citing one positive outcome, he noted that national parks had now set strict limitations on the number of visitors in line with carrying capacity principles. He expressed hope this would remain in place after the Covid-19 crisis recedes.

“Another positive outcome is the new focus on improving the quality of hygiene and sanitation.”

“The TAT was working overtime to help hotel businesses tap the potential of domestic tourism and maintain an occupancy of at least 30%, not so much to enhance business profitability, but rather to help maintain employment levels.”

Yuthasak said he had formulated a “3D” strategy for the transition to a new era.

• Domestic tourism, which would now get more priority than previously.

“It is clear that we have to stimulate and open up more opportunities to help each other, especially to tap the potential of the 12 million Thais who travelled abroad in 2019.”

• Digitalisation of business processes would open up many new opportunities to find new customers, improve retention, cut costs, create value and grow revenue. TAT is very active on this front, and had many more projects in store for next year.

• Dynamics: the industry as a whole has to create new dynamics and seek a better balance between creating efficiency and managing risk. “We don’t know what kind of crisis will happen next, but we have to be better prepared to deal with it. If there is ever a situation where we have to work from home, we will need a proper instruction manual on how to do it.”

The TAT chief says that “nothing will be the same again”, but that TAT is ready to help the industry adapt to new challenges and to support, encourage, motivate, and lead it towards a more promising future.

“We are ready to be the wind beneath your wings. I believe we have to come back stronger. Never give up. You are not alone. TAT will help you all overcome the Covid- 19 crisis together.”

PHOTO: Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn

SOURCE: TAT