Hotels to offer 50% discount

"The campaign is expected to boost tourism in the country and also to help farmers sell their products. This is one of the measures to save our economy," Keeravuj Kitiyadisai, an adviser to the commerce minister, said yesterday.

The Commerce Ministry and Thai Hotels Association came up with the idea to resurrect the tourism industry in a short time.

The effort is hoped to stimulate local movement and draw international tourists back to the country in these difficult times.

Hotels in major tourist destinations have reported lower occupancy rates this month compared to last year, but the campaign is expected to help operators gain some revenue.

Participating are 27 hotels from the North, 24 from the East, 38 hotels from the South, 14 from the West and 34 from greater Bangkok.

They would offer the special promotion until the end of September or this year's low season.

All hotels are urged to use local fruits and products to serve guests instead of imported products.

The strategy is aimed at assisting and promoting the activities of the tourism and lodging industries as well as helping entrepreneurs to recover lost business. The ministry is also calling on hotels to make seasonal OTOP products available at a special corner of their premises.

Other service provider participants are shops, outlets, cooperatives, fresh markets, taxis, entertainment venues and cargo carriers.

The campaign would raise the tourism industry's contribution to a hoped-for national economic recovery in the remaining months of the year, Keeravuj said.

This coincides with the authority's attempts to achieve 5-per-cent growth, or 87 million trips, in the domestic tourism market this year.

The ministry is also working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to launch the "Bustling Thai Tourism, Burgeoning Thai Economy" drive, which is hoped to stimulate domestic tourism in the rest of this year.