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Thailand: Call for a careful tourist reopening
The country’s reopening needs to continue with a more cautious approach amid concerns over the new Omicron variant, says the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT).
After detection of the first Omicron case in the country, local communities should not panic, but instead follow advice from public health experts such as the World Health Organization and the Public Health Ministry, said TCT president Chamnan Srisawat.
He said the detection of the variant means screening measures remain effective and the reopening should be allowed to continue as vaccine rollouts in Thailand increase, while daily cases continued to drop.
TCT also agrees with the decision to delay the use of antigen test kits for arrivals until the country has more details on the new strain.
“Tourism operators are about to start up again after almost two years of waiting during the crisis, as we gradually see signs of a tourism rebound,” Mr Chamnan said.
“The Omicron variant certainly raises more concerns, but our battered industry will not be able to handle any more flip-flops about the country’s reopening.”
Thailand welcomed 133,294 international arrivals from Nov 1 to Dec 6, of which 15,614 travellers came from Germany, followed by the US (10,917) and the UK (10,802), according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Meanwhile, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said the reopening will take time to generate a healthy number of tourists, and enforced closures could put the industry back to zero.
He said the government should follow the situation carefully. If the variant proves to be more dangerous, then it should consider tightening travel regulations or reimposing border closures in the worst-case scenario, said Mr Sisdivachr.
He said the most stringent measures for land border crossings are vital to prevent illegal migrant workers who intend to avoid health screening.
Suksit Suvunditkul, chief executive of Deevana Hotels and Resorts, said year-end bookings saw slower growth than expected because of new Covid waves in Europe, as well as the Omicron variant’s impact on tourists’ travel decisions.
Deevana Patong Resort and Spa has a 35-40% occupancy rate this month, compared with 90% in the same period in 2019.
Mr Suksit said room rates had dropped by 50% from 2019 levels, even during the peak holiday season, as there is limited demand.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2228459/call-for-a-careful-tourist-reopening