Private sector report losses
April 8, 2010 by Chanida Sa-ngiamphaisalsuk
Filed under News
Private sector tourism leaders report substantial losses during the three-week red shirt raillies and are accusing the Minister of Tourism and Sports of distorting the facts.
Federation of Thai Travel Agents spokesperson, Charoen Wangananont, challenged the Minister of Tourism and Sports “to tell the truth regarding the impact from political unrest”.
He was visibly angered by minister’s comments that the tourism situation was under control despite political unrest and that this year Thailand would gain a record 15.5 million international arrivals.
Chumpol Silapa-archa
“Government ministers say anything and they still get a salary. But private sector cannot do like that and keep their jobs,” he told the media yesterday. “Saying things positive, while there is a crisis will not help us eat and pay our bills.
“If the minister sees no impact, then he should stop asking for additional budgets.”
The latest day-to-day data from Association of Thai Travel Agents for April shows a decline when compared with the same period over the last three years.
“Of 100 charters expected from China during Songkran we have just 20 charters confirmed.”
He added that three tour companies had already asked the federation to negotiate with the SME bank to extend the grace period on special loans granted since last year, for another year.
“They expect this year low season will be worse than last year,” he added.
Thai Hotels Association’s office manager, Sakkarin Chorsawai, estimates the loss in Ratchaprasong district for seven to eight hotel members at between 20 to 30% in occupancy.
According to THA president, Prakit Chinamourpong, at least 10 events that were due to be held in hotels in Ratchaprasong have been cancelled, which means a loss of around Bt30 to Bt50 million per day or Bt200 million during the four days of protest if they were not rescheduled to other hotels in the city.
Thailand Incentive and Convention Association president, Sumate Sudasna, said requests for event bookings were very rare now.
Tourism Council of Thailand president, Kongkrit Hirunyakit, said the council will revise the forecast for this year after the Songkran holiday. He said from the original forecast of 12% growth, inbound tourism could grow at best by one-digit, or just reach the same level as last year.
FETTA honorary committee, Apichart Sankary, said the government needed to negotiate a solution with protesters.
“The nation is now like an ICU patient. If the doctor refuses surgery, then the patient has to lie there and die or get another doctor,” said Apichart Sankary.
He claimed tourism arrivals this year could reach 12 million, while Federation of Thai Travel Agents estimated at best 14 million.
The crisis means that Bt500 million spent by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to boost low season travel from Europe, China and India has been wasted, he said.
Possibly the current minister’s family name is the clue here, as he only has the job through a sop. From day one he has been incompetent, dictatorial and frugal with the facts. Turning to him for help with addressing the devastation of the travel and tourism industry is a futile exercise. He will be out of office soon, and is just keeping the seat warm.
The industry has to act as one, speaking with a single and credible voice. There are fundamental issues facing Thailand that are a whole lot bigger than empty hotels. The soul of the nation is being ripped apart, so it might appear shallow and self-serving to voice concern over the hospitality sector, which is but one facing meltdown.
On one side…”The truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth”…on the other….”To spin or not to spin?”
It was on these pages some weeks ago that we discussed the difficulty with dealing with the truth when it affects so many people. But I applaud Khun Charoen Wangananont for his comments about the Minister’s assessment. I too have been wondering which planet H.E. he has been on in the past three weeks. In a recent Facebook exchange one Sukhumvit hotelier quipped that the Minister might have been reading one too many Positive Thinking tuition books you find in Asia books.
Houston we defn have a problem and the ship is sinking. If you have ever been to a Crisis Management Seminar in Thailand, you might have been amused by a video showing the German coastguard receiving a May Day message “We are sinking, we are sinking!” The coastguard on duty answered in very accented English, “What are you THINKING?”
It is perhaps time the Minster wiped the fog from his glasses and the cotton wool from his ears, and start to understand that for many in the tourism industry we really are sinking. Putting positive PR spin on the crisis,that is clearly meant to mislead, is not the answer.
And what of a lasting solution to the political impasse? The present govt appears to get cornered, at every turn, by the red shirts. Pressure is building; we have to find a way to dissipate the energy.
We have to start talking.
And not in front of cameras, it has to be private and away from the spotlights. The clock is running and for the sake of our tourism industry I sincerely hope that both sides will compromise and work towards a solution, whatever that might be.
Andrew Wood
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