Why would tourists come to a country with two warring sides?

Recently, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) also reported that in the first six months of this year, the island attracted 14 million visitors, 8.9 per cent up from the same period last year. In June alone, the number of visitors was 2 million, up 5.6 per cent.

Hong Kong's arrivals breakdown also showed increase in the number of tourists from all markets. In the first half, arrivals from Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific were up 9.4, China 8.9 per cent, South/Southeast Asia 8.1 per cent, Europe/Africa/Middle East 5.6 per cent, and Americas were up 5.1 per cent.

Hotel occupancy across all categories was 83 per cent, the same as for the first half of 2007. The average hotel room rate achieved across all hotel categories was 1,238 Hong Kong dollars (Bt5,336), 4.8 per cent higher than 2007.

Wow! What an achievement!

The performance was spectacular, considering reports that travellers have cut their travelling schedules due to the global economic slowdown and rising fuel prices.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently reported that in June, passenger demand growth fell to 3.8 per cent, the lowest level since 2003 when the travelling world was spooked by the deadly Sars crisis. In the first six months, the growth rate was 5.4 per cent.

Giovanni Bisignani, director-general and CEO of IATA, did not hide his pessimism when saying that the situation would get much worse with consumer and business confidence falling amid sky-high oil prices.

Looking back to Thailand, the tourist arrival target for the entire year was recently lowered, from 14.7 million to 14 million.

Yeah, that is the figure that Hong Kong attracted in the first half, and it is only 30 per cent higher than Singapore's annual target.

The irony is Thailand encompasses a much bigger area, with 513,115 square kilometres against 707 in Singapore and 1,104 in Hong Kong. Thailand also prides itself on lavish natural resources and cultural attractions. Why then is the number of tourists that low?

What do the other countries have that we don't? Aside from several fundamental problems such as no concrete plans to improve our resources, people in the industry pointed the finger at political instability. That's understandable. Who would want to come to a country where the people of two warring sides threaten to attack each other almost on a daily basis?

It would be nice if the government had a vision. Hong Kong will certainly attract more tourists in the second half, when China hosts the Olympic Games. Singapore will also prosper more when its casino, the largest in the region, is open.

Meanwhile in Bangkok the government is just disparate groups fighting for power.