Vichit calls for travel grants

BANGKOK  Just days before the Association of Thai Travel Agents’ board election, one of the candidates for president has made some bold promises.
ATTA’s annual general meeting and committee elections will be held, 31 March, 0900 to 1200, at Dusit Thani Hotel.
Vichit Prakobgosol, who heads an election ticket of several prominent travel executives, said if his team is elected his priority will be to lobby the government to introduce a free travel insurance scheme.
He believes the government should underwrite free insurance for as long as it deems the country needs martial law to stay peaceful. However, earlier today news reports suggested martial law is about to be revoked.
inside no 5 Vichit Prakobgosol
Vichit Prakobgosol
It would replace an insurance scheme that visitors can buy online, but has not attracted much attention in the market, or gained endorsement from the powerful travel agency association that has over 1,000 members.
Vichit Prakobgosol also commented, over the weekend, that if he and his team win the election he will work closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to introduce a programme that would underwrite the cost of attending major travel shows such as WTM and ITB.
Details are sketchy, but it is thought a proposal would go to the ministry asking it to provide financial assistance to cover the cost of attending major overseas shows for inbound tour operators.
In line with that campaign promise Thai Airways International would be targeted for clearer discounts on travel for tour operators attending major shows.
He wants a clear commitment that ATTA inbound travel companies could gain AD75 or AD50 tickets to lower travel costs.
Usually discounted tickets AD 50 and AD 75 are concessions for IATA registered travel agencies that are predominantly selling airline tickets and are usually not extended to an inbound travel firm that has no affiliation with an IATA approved travel agency.
Vichit is the president of CCT Group and inbound tour operator specialising in China, Taiwan, and Indonesia that brings around 300,000 travellers to Thailand annually.
He also owns Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa, Phuket and Garden Cliff Resort & Spa, Pattaya.

sourced:ttrweekly.com