ENSURING tourist safety is a key priority for authorities who have strengthened security measures across Bangkok and at key tourist destinations in the wake of Monday’s deadly bombing, said Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Thailand’s minister for tourism and sports.
“The first priority is not (ascertaining) whether the number of tourists will drop, but ensuring their safety,” she said. “(Currently), we are not safe and sound.”
The minister added that security has been ramped up at some 80 points across Bangkok including at airports around the country.
However, she was also unable to specify specific measures being taken to prevent a raft of travel advisories and warnings being issued by foreign governments, a key concern for the trade.
Kobkarn acknowledged that the Tourism Authority of Thailand have received confirmed cancellations since the bombing, mostly from families and FITs. No major groups have pulled out though some have postponed their trips.
“The country is bigger than Ratchaprasong and there are plenty of other places for visitors to go,” she said, adding that the governor of Phuket had confirmed no group cancellations there.
The minister also avoided directly answering how a major downturn in arrivals from China would affect the trade and Thailand’s economy, given the fact that some analysts believe the attacks may have specifically targeted Chinese tourists who currently account for more than one-quarter of the country’s international arrivals and expenditure.
She conceded that visitors from Hong Kong however, one of the most lucrative source markets in terms of daily expenditure per head, were unlikely to come to Bangkok in the near term.
It will probably take a few weeks before tourism authorities are able to predict how the blast would affect arrivals in the longer term. “We cannot give a figure now, it is too soon,” said Kobkarn. “However, if you ask me what the arrivals will be for the year, I will say it has to be (at the current target of) 28.2 million.”
Tourists from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore were among the 22 killed with at least 125 more injured.
The Thai government will be compensating the injured and families of those who died through its 200 million baht (US$5.6 million) Tourism Support Fund.
