PHOTO: Phang-nga Bay National Park is filled with sunken caverns and rock formations rising out of the sea in Thailand. (Courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand)
The Royal Thai Army declared martial law shortly before dawn on Monday May 20, a week later on Monday, May 27, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) decided to proceed with the Thailand Travel Mart 2014 Plus (June 4-6), the country's largest travel industry business to business event. The decision shows a real confidence that the military seizure of power and the subsequent crackdown on dissent has created a situation stable enough to host the country's biggest travel show in Bangkok at the IMPACT Muang Thong Thani. Last Thursday, the Chief of the Royal Thai Army who led the coup assured the safety of tourists even as he announced that the military had taken control of government.
Since the military took power, leaders of both factions, Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts, have been arrested as has the country's former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. In the latest arrest, the former minister of education was arrested for giving a press conference to foreign media. All foreign media outlets have been silenced in Thailand and the military has taken control of broadcasting within the country.
TAT Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said, "In spite of the current political situation, we are very pleased that many buyers and sellers are still assured to attend the event. This is a major vote of confidence in Thailand, the quality of our tourism products and services, and the determination of the travel trade to go on with business as usual."
On May 22, leading hotel investors attending the Thailand Hotel Investment Conference in Bangkok expressed confidence in Thailand as a tourist destination, saying the imposition of martial law would have only a minimal impact on tourism in Thailand. The conference attracted more than 250 delegates from global hotel investment companies and financial institutions from 26 countries.
"I've been living in Phuket for five years and have also personally experienced the many ups and downs of Thailand's economy and tourism industry since the economic crisis of 1997," said Andreas Mattm?ller, COO for the Middle East and Asia of Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts. "Based on this experience, I strongly believe the crisis today means short-term pain but long-term gain. The markets will over-react initially, but as for those living here in Thailand, they will know the situation is very normal. Indeed, this is a good time to invest in Thailand."
Business as usual for the 13thAnnual Thai Travel Mart means the promoting of tourism and service business in Thailand and its Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) counterparts, meaning other destinations bordering the Mekong. Both buyers and media will also be offered pre and post tours in Bangkok and Thailand. This year's theme, "Experience with Us," reflects the fact the leisure travel is shifting away from just recreational holidays to more experiential and fulfilling activities.
Four experiential Thai products are being presented for the first time in one area: 1) Ecotourism, 2) Wedding and Honeymoon, 3) Health and Wellness, 4) Experience Thainess products; such as, Thai boxing and Thai cooking classes. The sellers of leisure products cover the normal range including hotels, tour operators, entertainment, transportation, golf courses, associations, NTOs, GMS and other travel services.
Of the 403 seller organizations registered, 77 percent are repeat sellers while 23 percent are new participants. The 296 buyers from 46 countries are equally divided between first time and repeat buyers. Forty-four percent of buyers are from Europe, Africa and the Middle East region. Twenty-four percent are from ASEAN, South Asia and the South Pacific. Twenty-three percent are from East Asia and 9 percent are from the American region.
Aside from a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, life for tourists in Thailand is normal. Airports and other transit facilities are operating as normal and with the dispersion of demonstrators in Bangkok, the city has returned to its normal traffic flow. As a report from inbound operator, Destination Asia put it, "Bangkok continues to function as normal with most businesses and offices continuing to operate, as people are able to move around the city freely. The Shopping Malls within the city also remain open for business as normal. The public transport systems including the BTS Skytrain, the MRT Subway and the Airport Rail Link continue to operate as scheduled, as do the rail services and bus links from Bangkok to the provinces. All areas outside Bangkok and other tourist destinations within Thailand such as Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Mai remain fully operational and are not overly affected."
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