REPORT – PHUKET, Thailand: The new strategy for tourism was presenting of behalf of the Royal Thai Government by Mrs Juthamas Siriwan…
REPORT – PHUKET, Thailand: The new strategy for tourism was presenting of behalf of the Royal Thai Government by Mrs Juthamas Siriwan, governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand, during her speech at the press conference held in Phuket last week. More than 1.000 travel editors, and tourism agents was invited by the Royal Thai Government and Thai Airways to inspect the areas of the country and to confirm that most of the areas are open and in operation.
The Thai government has appointed 9 sub-committees that are responsible to provide relief and aid recovery from the loss of lives, property, homes, businesses, jobs, and prosperity.
Thailand’s speedy recovery strategies have impressed the world. They witnessed images of Thai soldiers and volunteers helping families reunite, recovering damaged property, and even helping them rebuild their homes. It was a true testimony of the hospitable spirit of all Thai people.
The government has approved tax measures to offer relief to affected businesses. The Bank of Thailand is offering soft loans to assist entrepreneurs affected by this disaster through commercial banks.
The government has also established the Tsunami SME Fund as well as the Tsunami Recovery Fund to assist with the rebuilding efforts of affected businesses and homes.
Last January, senior government officials of the Indian Ocean governments met in Phuket to finalize plans for establishing an early warning system against future tsunamis. The details and structure of Early Warning System Phase 1 will be completed and operational soon.
The plan involves a vast network of media communication links, radio and television, and SMS text message facilities and watchtowers. Awareness campaigns as well as special training programs will be conducted to help educate local people, tourism industry personnel, students, and tourists about what to do in case a tsunami strikes again.
The Thai government has designated a Tourism Restoration Committee, with full authority and resources to execute the following 5 main restoration strategies of Andaman Tourism:
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Measures for recovery and development of tourism resources
Under this will be projects including reviving Patong and Kamala beaches of Phuket, redeveloping the harder hit areas of Khao Lak and Phi Phi Island, etc. Hundreds of millions of baht has already been approved for the different projects under this category. I will talk a little in detail now about the recovery efforts in each of these areas.-
Patong Beach: Safe Beach and Recreational Activities
The idea is to restore Patong as a safe beach for recreational and entertainment activities of locals and tourists alike, giving it the feel of a modern beach city. This plan being more of a preventative nature, construction of new facilities such as hotels, restaurants, pubs and other tourist amenities can no longer be beachfront but set back from the beach in accordance with the new safety plan. -
Kamala Beach: Safe Beach and Special Culture Orientation
Kamala Beach is another early development project. The restoration will be similar to Patong but the focus will be on creating a more cultural image rather than a modern one. -
Phi Phi Island: A paradise island for relaxing, diving and other adventure activities.
Phi Phi will retain its concept as a paradise island. -
Khao Lak: Exclusive Beach Resort for Couples and Families
Khao Lak, located in Phang-nga province, suffered around 80% damage. It will be redeveloped as it was with the focus on a relaxed beach resort for couples and families. The land will be planned and re-zoned for safety reasons and according to the principles of sustainable tourism. All tourism facilities will be completely rebuilt.
As well a Marine Watch Service Centre for safety and security of tourists will be constructed. This is an early warning system and will include fully staffed lifeguard teams to ensure safety for tourists visiting the beaches.
In addition to the revival efforts in the affected areas, there will be the development of new tourism products as well. These include:
- The Tsunami Memorial Spots Projects will be launched to capture and retain the impacts of the tsunami on the area. Hence, fisherman`s boats, homes, cars, and villages on the affected tracts will be conserved as tourist attractions. This will create lasting remembrance for this once in a thousand years disaster.
- A Tsunami Memorial Museum has been planned for Phang-nga. It will consist of an interactive museum with a tsunami- generated simulation and real-time warning machine for a tsunami watch.
- Phuket International Convention Centre will be established later to stimulate MICE travel to Phuket and Andaman region.
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Patong Beach: Safe Beach and Recreational Activities
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Marketing measures
Organising activities and events to attract tourists back to Thailand. This Mega Fam Trip is a good example of the measures this category will be dealing with. So far, the majority of marketing campaigns have focussed on domestic markets. They were done in collaboration with the airlines, the Thai Hotels Association and the Association of Thai Travel Agents.A key element in our recovery plan is for Thais to start travelling again. The TAT is designing special packages and incentives to stimulate Thai tourism to the area. We have also targeted the business community to hold their conferences in the affected provinces that are now fully operational.
For international markets the TAT has been organizing fam trips to attract back visitors from source markets and restore confidence for both tour operators and tourists and show that Thailand is ready to receive visitors again. About 300 media and tour agents have already visited Thailand to inspect tourist facilities for their clients.
The TAT will organize road-shows to attract visitors to the tsunami affected areas. We will continue to work with the private sector and attend major travel trade fairs to offer special packages.
We will also be organising a number of Mega Tourism Events such as:
- International Tiger Skins Games
- LG Action Sports World Tour
- Happiness Andaman
- Tsunami Memorial Day
- Colorful Andaman
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Measures to revive and promote culture in tourism
This includes mainly cultural and local Andaman lifestyle projects such as Arts on the Beach, Construction of Contemporary Arts Centre as well as Morale Encouragement Ceremony. -
Safety measures
To begin with, there will be lifeguard posts and more security regarding marine tourism. The Safer Beach design concept will be applied on all post-tsunami reconstruction. It focuses on the design and development of natural landscapes and physical infrastructure to withstand natural forces of a tsunami, while ensuring the integrity of natural coastal and marine landscapes. This careful planning is a priority so as to ensure that the rebuilding efforts conform to the principles of sustainable development.Furthermore, beach guards and Andaman Safety Patrols will be established in association with local administration, National Marine Parks and the Royal Thai Navy to assist tourists in terms of first aids treatment, emergency evacuation, as well as other lifesaving assistance.
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Long-term measures to promote sustainable tourism in the Andaman region
This plan consists of 4 projects to be completed over the next 5 years. These include:- The Andaman Corridor connecting the six provinces — Ranong, Phang-nga, Krabi, Phuket, Trang, and Satun.
- The expansion of the Phuket International Airport
- Upgrading of Krabi Airport to an international airport
- Implementation of the Comprehensive Andaman Tourism Plan
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
