Protesting the impact of the protests

Prakit Piriyakiet, deputy governor for marketing communications of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), admitted that the travel advisories by 38 countries had resulted in trip postponements until March 23, particularly among student groups and incentives.

Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) vice president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn said some Chinese group series had also been postponed, causing the kingdom to lose out on around 3,000 Chinese tourists a day during this period.

Bangkok hotels also felt the pinch, with occupancies dropping by 10 to 20 per cent as Asian markets either postponed or cancelled visits and residential meetings and local banquets took a raincheck, according to Thai Hotels Association president Prakit Chinamourphong.

The Chinese group series that was postponed would have injected some one billion baht (US$31 million) into the economy.

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) put the MICE sector?s losses at 335.8 million baht from 4,664 visitors.

These stem from the cancellation of a 120-pax incentive from India, the postponement to May of three business events ? an international forum and one event each from the Philippines and Hong Kong ? an ASEAN convention and an international meet.

The private sector has its own story to tell. Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok lost 200 roomnights when two regional events moved to Singapore and Vietnam and a further 200 roomnights from FIT cancellations.

But executive assistant manager Sammy Carolus said it was not the end of the world as six international events of up to 70 roomnights each still held for March and four regional events from Singapore and Hong Kong had rescheduled for undetermined dates between April and July.

THA?s Prakit said the impact would depend largely on how the government handled the situation and whether the rallies would be protracted. But thus far, the recorded postponements and cancellations were mainly from shorthaul markets.

Should the latest round of protests end peacefully, the Chinese market is expected to bounce back by the Thai New Year in April, said Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association president Vichit Prakobgosol.

Diethelm Events executive manager David Barrett, however, believed it was difficult to quantify the losses.

?How many more (business events) would Thailand have attracted had it not been for the political situation? Although I am still plugging away with new enquiries, I know the numbers have softened.?

Already, partners had opted to push other destinations instead of Thailand, Barrett revealed.

Marc Begassat, general manager of the Pullman Bangkok King Power, noted that most group and FIT cancellations and postponements came in at the last minute as the market monitored developments closely, signalling that demand for the destination had not really waned.

For instance, TCEB said Apollo Tyres India decided only on March 11 to move its 120 pax incentive, scheduled for March 12 to 14, to Hong Kong.

A new Tourist Assistance Centre was opened on March 12 at the TAT head office to provide support to tourists who may be inconvenienced by the demonstrations.

The government-backed tourist insurance scheme that, for US$1, provides up to US$10,000 coverage for visitors whose travel arrangements are disrupted by political protests, has been extended until March 2011. 

Dusit International CEO, Chanin Donavanik, stressed that democratic systems allow for political gatherings ? commonplace in major cities worldwide ? and thus, the rallies should not be construed as threats.

And aside from the Bangkok airport closures in late-2008, tourists have largely been spared from the political mayhem.

CBS Travel Asia president and CEO Chaladol Ussamarn said: ?Thailand?s record showed that during all the (past) protests, the safety of tourists had never been in question.?

Shorthaul markets have been quick to react by postponing or cancelling trips but the longhaul market is largely unfazed.

UK-based Miki Travel?s senior contractor Jonathan Wilkins said: ?Travellers from the UK, Germany and Scandinavia will continue to go (to Thailand) come rain or shine. The biggest concern is not really the demonstration but the closure of public services, like the airport.?

Richard Brouwer, Diethelm Travel?s chief operating officer, fielded some enquiries from buyers at the recent ITB Berlin regarding the political situation but said cancellations or major concerns were not on the radar.

Brouwer said: ?The Asian market might react faster in postponing planned trips.?