TAT plans to launch Chiang Mai tourism plan in October

Chiang Mai is getting ready to launch a “Bubble and Sealed” tourism plan where visitors can travel to 4 districts in Chiang Mai, the northern Thai province. The plan comes by way of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The 4 districts are the Mueang District, the Mae Rim district, the Mae Taeng district, and the Doi Tao district. The opening is tentatively scheduled for October.

TAT’s deputy governor for Marketing Communication, Thanet Petchsuwan, told the media that Chiang Mai is set to become the first inland province through TAT’s planned reopening of Thailand project. The Chiang Mai plan comes after island openings in Phuket, Koh Samui, and other islands under the “7+7” model.

Plans for similar openings in Pattaya and Chon Buri have been postponed due to the high Covid-19 infection rate and the proximity to Bangkok, the epicentre of the latest wave of the virus. Negotiations are on the table for Hua Hin

Thanet says Chiang Mai is planning on kicking off the “Bubble and Sealed” plan on October 1. The plan has been named “Charming Chiang Mai”. The DG says travel agencies or Destination Management Companies will be crucial in increasing domestic tourism as well as helping tourists while they stay in the 4 Charming districts.

The plan is similar to the Phuket Sandbox and the Samui Plus model in that the same health preventive measures and requirements will be stringently performed when people arrive. Tourists will need to be fully vaccinated 14 days before they arrive in Chiang Mai. They will also need health and Covid insurance with a minimum coverage of US$100,000. Visitors will also need to undergo a RT-PCR Covid-19 test 3 times during their 14 day visit prior to travelling to the other districts.

At first, travel agencies would offer a wide selection of travel packages for all target groups, for example, a General Program, Family Program, Golf Program and others. Thanet says the main target group for the plan is tourists from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and Indonesia. Also, the USA and Canada. The TAT says they are aiming for about 90 people a day with 1 flight per day.

“However, there are two factors to be considered whether the plan can proceed as scheduled; the vaccination distributions for entrepreneurs and local residents in the four districts and the number of new infections in Thailand. Both would directly affect the confidence of foreign tourists.”

SOURCE: The Pattaya News