The nation’s travel agents have expressed concern over the political turmoil in Thailand, as it could potentially halt the rebound of tourists heading to Bangkok and subsequently affect the sales of tour packages to Thailand for the summer vacation.
Former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was asked to step down on Wednesday after a court found her guilty of violating the constitution by abusing her authority to benefit her relatives.
The country’s capital is braced for more conflict over the next few days, as both opponents and supporters of Yingluck are staging protests in Bangkok today and tomorrow respectively.
Lion Travel Service Co spokesman Andy Yu (游國珍) said that the intensified strife between supporters and opponents of the Thai government earlier this year caused sales of tours to Thailand to hit bottom. He said that the market has yet to fully recover, despite a slight rebound last month.
“The market for Bangkok was hit the most in February and March and slightly recovered around the middle of last month,” Yu said. “The recovery was not so obvious with the tour groups. There have been signs of a recovery in free independent travelers heading to Thailand, as they were encouraged by discounts in flight tickets and accommodations.”
Yu said that his firm was still monitoring the political situation to determine the impact on a relatively weak market.
“What we are concerned about is that we are now promoting tour packages to Thailand for the summer vacation,” Yu said. “Should the conflicts escalate, that may affect our sales in the summertime. I think the situation should be clearer next week.”
Statistics from the Tourism Bureau showed that the number of Taiwanese tourists visiting Thailand dropped by nearly 25 percent in January and February compared with the same time last year, after conflicts in Bangkok turned deadly.
The Tourism Bureau also said that it is monitoring whether there is any change in the travel alert issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is also reminding tour groups to avoid protest areas. The bureau also said that it would immediately handle requests for assistance from Taiwanese tour groups in Thailand.
Currently, the ministry’s travel alert for Bangkok and the surrounding areas is yellow, which means that tourists should keep safety in mind and decide whether their trip is necessary.
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