by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:01 AM ET, Tue March 2, 2021
Tourism officials in Thailand have announced a new campaign to reopen the country's borders for international travel.
A group of over 15 major tourism companies in Thailand launched the #OpenThailandSafely campaign on Tuesday with the hopes of reopening to travelers starting on July 1. YAANA Ventures, Asian Trails, Capella Hotels and Resorts, EXO and many other companies are involved in the project.
The campaign has produced a petition that presents a formal request to the Royal Thai Government to reassess the situation now that COVID-19 vaccination programs are underway in Europe, the United States and other tourism source markets.
Tourism officials believe the country is ready to accept travelers again starting in July since most visitors will be vaccinated, the government will have time to vaccinate vulnerable citizens and front-line staff, affords time to people to start planning for summer vacation and helps airlines, hotels and tour operators prepare for the influx of arrivals.
"The July 1 reopening would be a strategic opportunity for Thailand to show a leadership role among Asian countries and prepare the way for a solid recovery of the Thai economy in 2022," YAANA Ventures CEO Willem Niemeijer said.
The #OpenThailandSafely campaign creators said it would take Thailand at least a year-and maybe longer-to return to the large numbers of international visitors it registered before the COVID-19 outbreak.
To help safeguard the country from a surge in coronavirus cases, the campaign is asking the government to develop a list of health and safety protocols that visitors would be forced to follow, including showing a negative COVID-19 test, providing proof of vaccine shots or purchasing health insurance.
Data showed that international arrivals fell to 6.7 million in 2020, down from the 39.7 million recorded in 2019.
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