Monday, November 21, 2011
BANGKOK (Thailand), eTN- The worst seems now over for Thailand and Bangkok. The Kingdom has been confronted for over four months with some of the biggest flooding ever seen in the last fifty years. The situation took its toll on tourism as images of flooded areas were shown on both televisions and social networks.
Tourist arrivals declined consequently by 25% including in resort areas such as Hua Hin, Phuket in the South or Chiang Mai in the North. Largely unaffected by flooding, those areas have suffered from images of roads blocked by flooding and images of a Thai Airways aircraft surrounded by waters. The picture was taken at the old Don Muang Airport –where Thai Airways has its maintenance facility- but it created confusion in people’s mind who thought that Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport was not operational. Many tourists then decided to switch destinations despite the fact that Suvarnabhumi never closed down…
Thailand’s situation is not completely back to normal. People living in Bangkok’s northern and western districts continue to live with their feet in the water. But waters’ levels are gradually receding. Positive signs can be seen everywhere: shelves at supermarkets start to be filled up again while shopping malls and Thai Airways headquarters in northern Bangkok reopened. “We are 100 per cent operational,” confirmed Rashana Pimolsindh, Director of Communications at the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok. The property was particularly exposed to flooding: located along the Chao Praya River, the hotel relocated some of its restaurants at the lobby level as safety remained a priority for the company. “However, we always stayed dry and permanently informed our customers on social networks,” she added.
In fact, inner city districts stayed dry with popular districts such as Silom, Sukhumvit, the malls of Rachaprasong or Khao San Road unaffected by flooding…
Now that Bangkok’s inner districts are definitely safe and that waters recede on the city’s fringes, the Tourism Authority of Thailand just released its marketing strategy. TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni remains relatively optimistic, estimating that the impact on flooding might be relatively limited. “If the flood situation is resolved at the end of November, we expect total international arrivals to drop by 220,000 with losses in tourist revenues reaching US$ 520 million, of which 275 million would come from international arrivals. If the flood situation is resolved by the end of December, international arrivals could decline by 300,000 with losses in revenues estimated at US$ 825 million,” he explained.
Mr. Svetasreni’s optimism relies on previous crisis and the stunning way for Thai tourism to bounce back rapidly. TAT will concentrate its marketing efforts over the next months to revive first domestic tourism and then regional markets. “We are looking to communicate and organize various marketing activities with airlines, hotels and tour operators abroad to show that Thailand tourism is fully operational except in Ayutthaya.
Diamond stud
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Tourist arrivals declined consequently by 25% including in resort areas such as Hua Hin, Phuket in the South or Chiang Mai in the North. Largely unaffected by flooding, those areas have suffered from images of roads blocked by flooding and images of a Thai Airways aircraft surrounded by waters. The picture was taken at the old Don Muang Airport –where Thai Airways has its maintenance facility- but it created confusion in people’s mind who thought that Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport was not operational. Many tourists then decided to switch destinations despite the fact that Suvarnabhumi never closed down…
Thailand’s situation is not completely back to normal. People living in Bangkok’s northern and western districts continue to live with their feet in the water. But waters’ levels are gradually receding. Positive signs can be seen everywhere: shelves at supermarkets start to be filled up again while shopping malls and Thai Airways headquarters in northern Bangkok reopened. “We are 100 per cent operational,” confirmed Rashana Pimolsindh, Director of Communications at the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok. The property was particularly exposed to flooding: located along the Chao Praya River, the hotel relocated some of its restaurants at the lobby level as safety remained a priority for the company. “However, we always stayed dry and permanently informed our customers on social networks,” she added.
In fact, inner city districts stayed dry with popular districts such as Silom, Sukhumvit, the malls of Rachaprasong or Khao San Road unaffected by flooding…
Now that Bangkok’s inner districts are definitely safe and that waters recede on the city’s fringes, the Tourism Authority of Thailand just released its marketing strategy. TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni remains relatively optimistic, estimating that the impact on flooding might be relatively limited. “If the flood situation is resolved at the end of November, we expect total international arrivals to drop by 220,000 with losses in tourist revenues reaching US$ 520 million, of which 275 million would come from international arrivals. If the flood situation is resolved by the end of December, international arrivals could decline by 300,000 with losses in revenues estimated at US$ 825 million,” he explained.
Mr. Svetasreni’s optimism relies on previous crisis and the stunning way for Thai tourism to bounce back rapidly. TAT will concentrate its marketing efforts over the next months to revive first domestic tourism and then regional markets. “We are looking to communicate and organize various marketing activities with airlines, hotels and tour operators abroad to show that Thailand tourism is fully operational except in Ayutthaya.
Diamond stud
Read more
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