Domestic tourism 'to bounce back'

Krit said local tourists would take more vacations in the near future because people were less worried about political chaos since the government issued its emergency decree on Tuesday. The move has eased the political pressure to the extent that people now feel more confident about travelling.

"The number of domestic travellers is expected to increase compared to previous months as they feel more confident about security," said Krit.

PK Exhibition Management is organising the Thai Tourism Fair in Bangkok, which runs until Sunday. The company believes the four-day event will achieve the target of 300,000 visitors and spending of Bt400 million to Bt500 million.

With the brighter future, the company plans to add one more event in October.

Maiyarat Pheerayakoses, president of the Association of Domestic Travel, said domestic tourism would return to normal levels soon. She said tourists would visit many unaffected attractions, especially in the provinces.

However, Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said that the overall tourism sector would feel the effect of political uncertainty.

TCT projects that international tourists will avoid travel to Thailand, fearing the chaos as the high season arrives.

Kurt Wachtveitl, general manager of the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, said many customers from around the world had cancelled their bookings, particularly for October and November.