Thai Tourist Sector Expects Bigger 4th Quarter

Thailand may see a 5 percents rise in tourist arrivals in the final quarter compared with a year before, after a sharp fall earlier this year, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday.

?The sector should see a small improvement in the fourth quarter of this year and recover in the first quarter [of 2010],? university economist Thanavath Phonvichai said, after a survey of 400 tourist operators conducted on Sept 15 to 20.

Foreign arrivals are expected to fall about 10 to 15 percent in the third quarter after a 16 to 20 percent drop in the first half, Thanavath told a news conference.

For the whole of 2009, the industry expected the number of foreign tourists to fall to 12.5-13.0 million this year from last year?s 14.5 million and revenue would fall by 10 percent from about $14.9 billion last year, he said.

But in 2010, foreign arrivals are expected to rise to 14.5-15.0 million and revenue to increase to as much as $15.8 billion, Thanavath said, adding tourists from all markets should return to the ?Land of Smiles.?

The global economic slowdown was the main factor discouraging people from traveling, while domestic political issues and the H1N1 flu were less worrying Thanavath said.

?Asian tourists should come back as well as those from Europe and the US. If there is no political problem, arrivals should increase by 10 to 15 percent next year,? he said.

Hotel operator Erawan Group is also positive about prospects, saying earning would turn round next year as long as political unrest was contained.

An anti-government rally by supporters of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok last weekend passed off without violence.

Sourced = The Cambodia Daily