Guest fountainhall Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 Britain's Guardian newspaper has today printed a list of the top 10 winter beach getaways. In terms of value for money, the list ranges from 8 nights in Sri Lanka for US$580, 6 nights in Kenya for $870, to $1,150 for 7 nights in Tobago in the Caribbean. All rates include return flights from London. The above destinations are not much closer to London than Thailand. At a time when the Thai tourist industry is in such a desperate state, I am staggered that the TAT has not done more over the last few weeks to work with tour operators and alert the world's newspapers to packages in Phuket, Samui and other beach resorts. But judging from the websites I have checked, I suspect that the major Thai beach resorts are stubbornly sticking to prices much higher than the market can bear. So sad! Quote
Guest Astrrro Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 I don't think lower hotel prices will significantly promote international tourism to Thailand since hotel prices are so low to begin with. If Two Guys or Howard's slashed their rates by 50% would anyone who was not planning a trip to the LOS, now go? If these hotels cut rates they would simply take away business from other hotels. Now, I'm "assuming" that the family hotel market and the high end hotel market is also dirt cheap compared to Hawaii, Ibiza, or the Carribean. I've been wrong before. I think the most effective way to promote tourism is airfare subsidies. $600 charter flights with every single seat filled. Quote
Guest MonkeySee Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 With all the bad press that Thailand has had, with the political mess and the airport closure, I am not sure anything is going to help. As reported on BBC, the latest bad press is that poor Austrilian novelist that has been thrown in jail for three years. Apparently, he wrote a few sentences in a book published several years ago, and the government did not like it. Now, with the economic downturn many countries are fighting for the tourist dollar and people are not in the mood to spend. Makes for a gloomy outlook for the Thai tourist industry. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 I don't think lower hotel prices will significantly promote international tourism to Thailand since hotel prices are so low to begin with. I am not suggesting that Two Guys or Howard's slash their rates by 50%. What I am suggesting is that the TAT has to work closely with the tour operators who package tours, and help them very quickly negotiate with the airlines for special lower-than-usual group rates and lower-than-usual hotel prices specifically at 3-, 4- and 5-star hotels. I have often felt it is rather ridiculous that an individual can pay, say, US$1,000 for an airline ticket and hotel purchased on their own; yet, tour operators can offer the same air ticket and hotel room as part of an inclusive package at vastly less - often up to 50% less. What Thailand needs now is not so much the individuals - many of whom will come anyway. What has been lost are the groups from China, Korea, Japan, other Asian countries and some Eastern European countries who would not dream of travelling solo. These groups are extremely price-sensitive. Make Thailand cheaper than our neighbouring countries and there my be a chance that airline seats and hotel rooms will fill up more quickly. Quote
Guest buckeroo2 Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 For the frequent traveler to Thailand the political instability is something we have dealt with and are rather accustomed to, but a country cannot allow their international airport to be closed for 8 days by political demonstrators and think the casual traveler is going to choose Thailand as a holiday destination. Overcoming this stigma is going to be long term and no discounts are going to entice people to travel to a destination where they fear they may not be able to leave. Quote
Guest hajuthai Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 In danish newspapers Phuket and Pang Nha is mentioned among the worlds best beaches- and it is now in Denmark same price as going to Canarie Islands or Virgin Islands. But the financial crises keep people home. So people take care of the money. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 a country cannot allow their international airport to be closed for 8 days by political demonstrators and think the casual traveler is going to choose Thailand as a holiday destination. Overcoming this stigma is going to be long term and no discounts are going to entice people to travel to a destination where they fear they may not be able to leave. For individual travellers, true. Most Tourist Associations love individual tourists because they tend to spend a lot more than those on tour groups. But remember that this country depends on huge numbers of Asian tourists who visit on organised tours. Ask any hotel and you will discover that these were the first to disappear when the state of emergency was declared way back in September. We also know that TG's income is crashing. One reason is that for an airline, the profits may come from the front of the plane, but the basic bread and butter comes from filling up the back. But the financial crises keep people home. So people take care of the money. This may well be the biggest problem that the TAT has to tackle. Quote
