Tourism revenue may fall 10-15%: UTCC survey

Covering 412 samples, the survey conducted during June 25-29 showed that respondents attributed hard times to the global economic recession, the 2009 influenza, and political turbulence.

The majority of Thai operators, 61.58 per cent, expected the tourism industry to pick up in the first quarter of next year, while 15.84 per cent expected the recovery in the second half of next year. They urged the government to focus on restoring confidence, maintaining hygienic standards and providing soft loans to operators. Sixty per cent of the respondents said they are resorting to savings to support the business, while many negotiate for loans from new banks and reschedule existing loans.