80% of domestic tourists cancel Songkran trip due to Covid fears, financial woes

More than 80% of domestic tourists in Thailand have cancelled their trips for Songkran, the Thai New Year, due to the spread of Omicron or financial issues during the pandemic, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand. A tourism official says the government should launch more measures to promote domestic tourism.

Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15 and many Thais will travel back to their hometowns to see their families. Many planned trips around the end of March to the end of April, but many cancelled their trips following the uptick in cases, according to the Deputy Director of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Puriwat Limtaworn.

Puriwat says the highly transmissible Omicron variant is still spreading, and Thai people are still worried about getting infected. Financial stress has also led many Thais to cancel their trips. He added that many Thais are far more worried about financial problems than about the virus. With Thailand entering its rainy season in a few months, which coincides with the low season for tourism, businesses aren’t expected to recover until the end of the year.

SOURCE: Khaosod