BANGKOK, 3 December 2021: “In a crisis that has yet to see its end, we are now starting to see some light in the darkness”, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism & Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn told leading business executives at an event organised by the British Chamber of Commerce and hosted by Bangkok’s Anantara Siam Hotel earlier this week.
Appropriately called “Reopening Thailand Tourism: Is this the Light at the End of the Tunnel”, the minister was joined by the Tourism Authority of Thailand deputy governor for international marketing (Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas) Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, who presented a detailed update on the country’s reopening strategy that got underway last month.
Minister Phiphat emphasised that “the success of the Phuket Sandbox project ignited the fire of hope for the global tourism industry and such encouragement led to Thailand extending the aforementioned project to welcome foreign tourists from low-risk countries to other areas of Thailand which attracted approximately 100,000 international tourists since its commencement 1 November 2021.”
But he cautioned: “However, we cannot be successful without integration and cooperation from all relevant sectors, and today’s forum is a step towards our success, with all the experience of experts both from Thai government agencies and the private sector. We can help determine the new direction of Thailand’s tourism industry in terms of enhancing security and sustainability for the economy, society, and the environment.”
BCCT board member Martin Hurley, general manager of the Lancaster Hotel, Bangkok, chaired a panel discussion with Pilomrat Isvarphornchai, public relations, Association of Thai Travel Agents, Michael Marshall, chief commercial officer, Minor Hotel Group, Sumate Sudasna president TICA and Oliver Schnatz of the Sofitel Sukhumvit.
(Source: Report and photos by Andrew Wood.)
