Are we ready for the next crisis?

BANGKOK, 1 February 2012 – A prominent Thai economics professor has alerted the Thai tourism industry to the impact of an Israeli attack on Iran, including high oil prices and the dangers of a wider conflict, Travel Impact Newswire reported Tuesday.

Addressing the joint annual meeting of the Thai Hotels Association and Association of Thai Travel Agents on 30 January, Assoc.Prof. Somchai Pakapaswiwat PhD., who also advises the Thai government via the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), analysed how an Iran attack would pan out, including the possibility of expanding into a wider war involving the United States, China and Saudi Arabia.

It is the first time that the Thai tourism industry has been directly told to be prepared for the business impact of a potentially catastrophic geopolitical crisis. It also answered in advance the question posed by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in the marketing pitch for an upcoming series of seminars: “Are you ready for the next crisis?”

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ATTA warns difficult year ahead

BANGKOK, 23 January 2012: The Association of Thai Travel Agents says tourist arrivals to Thailand during Chinese New Year dropped by 30% due to a terrorist threat in the capital.

ATTA president, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, said news of possible terrorist attacks, leaked by the US and Israeli embassies, damaged tourism over the Chinese New Year.

“Travel agents have moved clients from Bangkok, mainly  Khao San Road, Bang Lamphu and Soi Sukhumvit 22, where the embassies identified threats.” Read more

Turnaround ends in a whimper

BANGKOK, 22 December 2011: Travel agents in Thailand saw their business improve by 44.13% during the first 11 months of the year according to data from the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

The association measures tourists,handled by member companies, who enter the country at Suvarnabhumi Airport. During the first 11 months arrivals soared to 2,612,728 from 1,812,735 visits, during the same period last year, a healthy improvement of more than 44%.

Comparisons with 2010 are tricky. It was not a good year for travel agents due to political upheavals and violent street battles between the military and red shirt protesters that accelerated the negative trend that set in 2008.

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ATTA calls for clearer message

BANGKOK, 30 November 2011: The Association of Thai Travel Agents recommends the government should clarify its restoration and recovery plans and clearly identify steps to rebuild confidence for investors as well as the tourism industry worldwide.

Floods across the central plains that knocked out close to a 1,000 factories and threatened the capital, hit investor confidence and also damaged inbound tourism cutting advanced bookings by 90% in November. Booking declines varied according to the markets, but Asian travellers were generally spooked by news that Don Mueang Airport closed in late October and public health warnings identified in travel advisories.

ATTA president, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, called on the government to provide clearer information to international travellers and elaborate in detail about measures that have been adopted to reduce health risks and rebuild the economy.

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Booking wash away in floods

BANGKOK, 4 October 2011 – Association of Thai Travel Agents says flood damage will decrease the number of tourists handled by its members by at least 10% if the situation does not ease this month.

The country has been hit by unprecedented floods and storms that have killed more than 200 people since July and wreaked havoc in more than 50 provinces across the country.

Popular tourist destinations such as Chiang Mai in North Thailand and Ayutthaya the main day trip destination for tourists visiting Bangkok were badly hit. Read more

TCC unveils mega tourist project

BANGKOK, 30 September 2011 – A TCC Land Group, retail business company has invested Bt1 billion in a mega real estate project branded Asiatique Riverfront that is due to partly open this December with an official launch in April 2012.

Details were presented Thursday at the Association of Thai Travel Agents monthly meeting by Asiatique project director, Napat Charoenkul.

“It is going to be a new landmark for Bangkok’s travel and entertainment scene,” he told 100 leading travel agencies attending the meeting.

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ATTA committee declared legal

BANGKOK, 20 September 2011 – Ministry of Commerce’s Registration Department for Associations of Trade approved the 34th Association of Thai Travel Agents’ president and committee after some members had challenged the election result last March.

ATTA president, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, told TTR Weekly that gaining approval would now enable the committee to get on with the task of supporting its members business.

“We have been working for our members since the day we were elected, but as long as there was a legal question mark over the elections it limited our ability to host official meetings and move the decision process forward.” Read more

ATTA predicts strong recovery

BANGKOK, 9 August 2011 – Association of Thai Travel Agents estimates tourists handled by member companies at Suvarnabhumi Airport could reach 3.5 million trips this year on the back of growing confidence in Thailand’s stability.

ATTA secretary, Charoen Wangananont, said this year had a good beginning and the forecasts were positive after five years of problems.

“The Pheu Thai government should create confidence for international tourists to visit Thailand. However, the government needs to clarify its tourism plan to strengthen quality and work very closely with the private sector,” Mr Charoen said. Read more

ATTA president outlines plans

BANGKOK, 25 July 2011 – Thailand’s leading travel agency association says it will build business for its members by helping them prepare for the ASEAN Economic Community that rolls out 2015.

That was the pledge made by the Association of Thai Travel Agents’ acting president, Sidivachr Cheewarattanaporn, who outlined the association’s policy statement for 2012 at a meeting Thursday.

“ATTA needs to move forward to build business benefits for members, following the resignation of Surapol Sritrakul, last month who was president of the association for two years 2009 to 2010,” Mr Sidivachr explained.

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ATTA agents report gains

BANGKOK, 12 July 2011 – Association of Thai Travel Agents’ members handled 1,505,160 international tourists at Suvarnabhumi Airport during the first half year of 2011 representing an increase of 48.92% over 1,010,705 visits during the same period last year.

ATTA released its latest data, Monday, based on fees member agencies pay to the airport to provide a meet-and-greet service for international clients.

The top tourist market for ATTA agents was China with 313,268 trips. It represented a 125.07% increase over 139,184 trips during the same period last year. Read more

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