Tourism bosses boast 400,000 rise in first half
The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) reported that international tourists using its travel agents reached 1.4 million during the first half of the year, up 400,000 from the same period last year.
However, the association said the growth decreased as the year went on. In January, arrivals were 270,500 with a growth rate was 72 per cent. In February, the figures were 271,500 with a 54.5-per-cent increase. March saw 258,200 visitors for a 37.8 per cent increase. And in April, 218,167 tourists arrived, marking a 28.36-per-cent increase. In May, 204,700 tourists arrived for a 20-per-cent increase, while last month tallied 227,400 arrivals and a 12.2-per-cent increase. The association said major reasons for the slowing growth were rising oil price rises, the economic slowdown and internal political turmoil. Meanwhile, the ATTA said regional competitors like Vietnam, Laos, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia had launched tourism strategies and unveiled products and services to entice visitors, thereby stealing holiday-makers from Thailand. Of arrivals, the Chinese remained on top, while tourists from South Korea, Japan, the UK, Germany and Scandinavia followed closely. ATTA president Apichart Sankary said the Kingdom would not achieve the target of 14 million that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had set for this year.
Suchat Sritama The Nation
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