Minister: Thai tourism to rebound from deadly bombing
Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul has expressed his belief that the tourism sector will soon recover from the August 17 bombing in Erawan temple, central Bangkok.
Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul has expressed his belief that the tourism sector will soon recover from the August 17 bombing in Erawan temple, central Bangkok that claimed at least 20 lives and injured more than 120.
Meeting the media on August 26, Wattanavrangkul said the tourism slump is temporary and the 61.8-billion-USD revenue goal is achievable.
Travel bookings and hotel reservations are still good until the end of this year.
The situation is currently under control with all means of security and safety measures implemented by all sectors, she said, adding that the ministry would organise about 30 activities with the aim of promoting tourism, including road shows in China and visits to neighbouring countries as well as the Republic of Korea, Japan and parts of Europe.
According to the ministry, tourist arrivals last week declined by 7 percent compared to past trends, and the number is expected to fluctuate within the next couple of weeks. However, the visits from August 1-23 totalled 2.1 million, up 31.68 percent annually.
Earlier on August 24, the Thai government conveyed a message to all foreigners travelling to the kingdom for all purposes, be it tourism, business, or education, that measures have been taken to ensure the highest degree of safety and security for them.-VNA
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Tourist arrivals in Thailand this year are expected to increase to more than 28 million, generating around 2 trillion THB and predicting a positive recovery of the industry in 2015.
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At Sathorn wharf (Source: AFP/VNA)
