Tourism officials fear local Covid cases may dampen enthusiasm of domestic travellers

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has expressed concern that the emergence of local Covid-19 infections may negatively affect travel during the November 19-22 holiday period. TAT governor, Yuthasak Supasorn, says there’s a risk that local infections, such as the Krabi resident who tested positive recently, may be dampening enthusiasm among domestic tourists.

Local tourism officials are desperate to reboot Thailand’s battered tourism industry and are hoping the 2 long weekends coming up will help boost numbers in the long-suffering tourist hubs that have been left all but desolate since March.

Furthermore, travel uptake may be limited by many having already spent money on trips during the October 23 holiday, coupled with additional holidays being announced for December 10-13.

“Local tourists may bypass holidays as the sluggish economy has affected their incomes, as they face household debt and soft purchasing power. Tourism receipts are projected to be a bit low.”

According to the TAT, the most popular holiday spots for locals are Chon Buri, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Rayong, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya. The international favourites are, generally, off most local tourism maps.

However, the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat is also expected to be busy during the forthcoming holiday, as pilgrims flock to pray to a statue of the child spirit, Ai Khai, at Wat Chedi. The TAT adds that data collected between November 1-10 indicates that Chiang Mai and Phuket are the most discussed holiday destinations among locals on social media.

The TAT predicts that over the course of the upcoming holiday, domestic tourists will take over 3 million trips, generating over 12.5 billion baht. The Bangkok Post reports that these figures are similar to those generated over the substitute Songkran holidays in September.

Meanwhile, average hotel occupancy over the period is expected to be around 37%, down from 41% during the September holiday. Hotels in central Thailand are expected to fare best, with a predicted occupancy rate of 61%, followed by 55% in the north-east, 54% in the east, 44% in the north, 20% in Bangkok and a mere 18% in the south of the country.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post