ATTA opposes Ministry cap on tourism

Thailand’s tourism expert claims the kingdom can handle 40 million international tourists a year if all service structures are developed properly.

But the Ministry of Tourism and Sports cautioned that 26 million a year was a more realistic target to cap tourist arrivals.

Ministry permanent secretary Suwat Sidthilaw said tourists arrivals should be capped at around 25 to 26 million a year. High-end tourism should account for 30% and mass tourism about 70%. Currently, the ratio is 20% to 80%.

Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn

Association of Thai Travel Agents acting president, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, said the private sector disagreed with the ministry’s policy to begin limiting foreign tourist arrivals once they reach 26 million a year.

“It flies in the face of the government’s policy to build tourism revenue to Bt2 trillion with a target of 30 million tourist arrivals by 2015,” he countered.

He added: “The tourism ministry should concentrate on human resource development. It needs to train and educate bus drivers, tour guides, and related professionals and raise standards including English language skills.”

Representing the largest travel agency association in the country, he claims the ministry needs to push tourism products and raise quality and to secure new investment in attractions and encourage better transport links such as the rail system.

“If we develop attractions and infrastructure, Thailand can welcome 40 million a year within three to four years,” he commented. “Today Thailand is not in the position to discourage tourists travelling to the country.”

Three markets are performing well for travel agents in the first quarter of this year. China led the field with 378,859 trips (+74.61%) while Japan was in third place  with 92,778 trips (+92.88%) and South Korea in fourth with 56,335 (+18.03%).

In 2012, Thailand attracted 22,303,065 tourist arrivals increasing 15.98% from 19,230,470 visits in 2011 according to tourism ministry data.

ATTA’s assessment will probably upset certain segments of the tourism industry that call for sustainability as well as non-government organisations that claim tourism has a negative impact on culture, family values and the natural assets of the country.

While 40 million is a figure picked out of the hat there has been very little research on the ability to achieve such a high target within three years, or the wisdom to even attempt to do so considering the negative impacts of tourism.

Lip service is paid to sustainability, quality tourism and conservation, but the reality is tourism is multii-billion business and it is very unlikely its principle stakeholders will buy the Ministry of Tourism’s argument that arrivals should be capped at 26 million.

Sourced: ttrweekly