Some tourist fees waived
The government
plans
to exempt visitors
from visa-on-arrival fees
during November and December
to salvage falling tourist numbers
especially from China.
mullling
a waiver of the 2,000-baht visa fee for Chinese visitors to increase their numbers.
The initiative
floated
floated
by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
aims
to reassure Chinese tourists
whose numbers of Chinese tourists have declined
since the Phuket boat tragedy in July.
Yuthasak Supasorn
governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand
said
Mr Somkid has authorised the Immigration Office to exempt 21 nations from visa-on-arrival fees in the final two months of the year.
The exemption
is expected
to help foreign arrivals edge towards 40 million
up from the target of 38 million.
Chinese
arrivals
could reach 12 million
compared with
the earlier target of 10.5 million.
Private tourism operators
worried that
Thailand may lose up to 1 million Chinese arrivals
over the next six months
if the country is unable to restore confidence in safety issues.
experts in the industry said.
The decline
of the Chinese market
will have an immediate impact on the country's tourism
which contributes 20% to GDP.
is set to
hit tourism
related to
business,
particularly travel agencies
restaurants and souvenir shops
From the over 35 million foreign visitors last year
one-third of arrivals were Chinese.
decreased after the Phuket boat accident.
Vichit Prakobkosol
president of
the Association of Thai Travel Agents
or Atta
said
travel operators and airlines from China are still not putting Thailand in their packages from October until March 2019.
"I believe we risk losing 1 million arrivals from China for the high season, which could equal a loss of 50 billion baht"
Operators and the Chinese government
are concerned
about safety and security measures
after a tour boat capsized off Phuket in July
killing 47 Chinese tourists.