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Thailand PM plans a visit to DUBAI 
Thailand PM plans a visit to DUBAI
Thai Cabinet gives green light
on measures to revive tourism, while the PM may join the Arabian Travel
Market.
Thailand's government leaders emphasised the crucial
role tourism plays in the economy, at their Cabinet meeting, last
Tuesday.
The meeting gave the green light for financial aid, tax
and tourism promotion measures to lift the industry, which was hit by
the double whammy of worldwide economic recession and extended political
unrest in the country.
The decisions were made against the
backdrop of dire warnings that Thailand was heading for unprecedented
declines in tourist arrivals and earnings.
Tourism Council of
Thailand president, Kongkrit Hiranyakit, forecast, earlier, that tourist
arrivals could fall from 14.1 million in 2008 to 10.9 million in 2009,
or a decline of 22.8%.
Revenue from tourism could fall to Bt350
billion, a decrease of 35.19% from Bt540 billion last year.
Reflecting
government concern, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is reportedly
planning to lead tourism executives attending the Arabian Travel Mart,
scheduled for 5 to 8 May in Dubai, UAE. This would be a first for a Thai
PM.
It would place him in the city that has given refuge to his
political adversary, Thaksin Shinawatra, who faces imprisonment if he
ever returns to Thailand.
At the close of the Tuesday meeting,
the deputy government spokesman, Vachara Kannikar, reported government
agencies were told to speed up their 2009 budget disbursements, before
the end of the current fiscal year, 30 September, and spend more on
tourism development projects.
The government is prepared to
guarantee loans sought by tourism operators from the Small and Medium
Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand.
The SME Bank has set
aside Bt5 billion as loan for tourism entrepreneurs, but very few have
applied, due to stiff requirements imposed by the bank. The government
will review the conditions.
Meanwhile, regarding tax relaxation
measures, which introduced due to the 10-day closure of Suvarnabhumi
Airport, late last year, the government agrees it should extend the
incentives until the end of the year.
The Cabinet discussed ways
to build confidence, particularly as international insurance does not
cover visitors for events arising from political unrest. It was decided
to assign the Office of the Insurance Commission or domestic commercial
insurance firms to consider insurance cover for foreign tourists
instead. Details of the regulations will needed to be studied first, the
spokesman said.Source: http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/index.php?id=138&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1...
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