Long Road Ahead for Thailand's Tourism

Though the government anticipated a torrent of visitors to enter Thailand after the reopening two weeks ago, companies are reporting just a little increase in tourism. Nonetheless, they are urging the government to relax Covid-19 limits and to continue and expand federal funding initiatives to aid recovery.

According to the president of the Thai Hotels Association, advanced bookings for next month and January are up, and tour operators have promoted Thailand with reopening packages to encourage people to make their holiday plans in the country. However, success is still hampered by the complexity of the various reentry programs, with travellers struggling with the Thailand Pass, different forms of quarantine ranging from 1 day while waiting for test results for Test & Go travel, and the complexity of the various reentry programs, with travellers struggling with Thailand

Not only are the admission formalities a barrier, but Thailand has still been rated a high-risk destination for many nations, with over 7,000 new Covid-19 infections every day. Travellers would have to quarantine when returning home for a vacation. According to the head of the organization, the government must negotiate with countries to get Thailand removed from the list of countries that need quarantine upon return.

Domestically, the government should expand initiatives such as "Travel Around Thailand" and "We Travel Together," which assist in subsidizing domestic travel. It may also provide low-interest loans and reduced taxes and utility prices to assist struggling tourist enterprises in staying afloat and lowering their operating costs.

According to the head of the organization, both the public and commercial sectors have their work cut out for them in shaping Thailand's tourism future. Currently, health and safety regulations such as the SHA and SHA+ programs must stay attentive in order to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks in the tourist industry and instil trust in travellers.
She invites everyone to collaborate on a development plan that will help form a new tourist climate for Thailand in the future, one that integrates environmental awareness and aids in closing income inequalities while operating under a fair competition policy.