Thailand approves draft strategy

BANGKOK Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul says Thailand tourism development plan will help to improve the country’s competitiveness and improve connections to neighbouring countries. She said the Cabinet approved, last week, the draft of the Thailand Tourism Development Strategy Plan (2015 to 2017), while the plan to develop five priority tourism clusters will go to the National Tourism Policy Committee this week. The five tourism clusters are: Lanna Culture; South I-San Civilisation; Active Beach; Royal Coast; and Andaman. The strategy covers both short and long-term goals and shifts the emphasis away from mass tourism to quality tourism measured by revenue earned and length of stay. According to the plan, next year’s tourism revenue should reach THB2.3 trillion and THB2.5 trillion in 2017. inside no 4Under the three-year plan, the country will focus on generating tourism revenue, particularly for local communities to attract quality tourists. The plan comprises of three strategies — tourism product and service development, tourism management and marketing. The minister added: “ASEAN Connect is also one of the strategies that be adopted” The ministry’s permanent secretary, Areepong Bhoocha-Oom, said tourism ministers of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam discussed an action plan (2016 to 2018) to develop the region’s tourism industry at the 2nd ACMECS Tourism Ministerial Meetings in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, late last month. “We agreed to move on seven strategies to develop the region tourism sustainability.” They are: Promote tourism under the tagline five countries one destination–Thailand and Vietnam are responsible on the plan; Develop product links in the region — Cambodia; Exchange tourism information — Myanmar; Develop tourism products — Myanmar; Develop human resources — Thailand and Vietnam; Improve tourism safety — Vietnam; Study private sector involvement in tourism — Laos and Vietnam. Travel facilitation was also considered especially visa and transport, capacity-building programmes for tourism professionals and tourism stakeholders and promotion of the green and responsible tourism in the ACMECS region. Tourism related action plans as part of the ACMECS Cooperation pact, include development of new tourism corridors, development of border tourism, enhancement of sub-regional connectivity, promotion of foreign direct investment, tourist safety and environmental protection of tourist sites. sourced:ttrweekly.com