(TAN): Thailand saw a huge decline in foreign tourist arrivals in March from a year earlier amid slowing travel demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak, reports said.
Arrivals crashed 76.4% to 820,000 in March compared to the same period last year, following a 42.8% year-on-year slump in February 2020, as per reports.
Spending slumped with overseas tourists reportedly spending around THB 39.5 billion (USD 1.23 billion approximately) during the month, 77.6% less from March 2019.
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According to reports, Chinese visitors, that account for the highest numbers of tourists to the country, went down 94.2% compared to a year ago.
The South East Asian country, which intensely depends on tourism for its economy, has been massively hit by the pandemic, reports said. Thailand has extended its national ban on international arrivals until at least May 30, and heavily restricted domestic travel, as per reports. However, it is reportedly planning to ease lockdown by partially opening restaurants, markets and cafes with wealthy tourists in mind.
Thailand’s head of Tourism and Sports Ministry, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, reportedly said the country needs to decide on a marketing strategy to tackle post-Covid tourism.
“The ministry is working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to set up a model which will attract a specific group of travellers to visit chosen areas,” Ratchakitprakarn was quoted by The Thaiger as saying.
The country will reportedly focus on the island resorts of Phuket, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan to host international visitors with relatively high purchasing power.
“Because those destinations are only reachable via limited gateways, provincial authorities can ensure thorough screening of incoming visitors and provide more comprehensive prevention measures against the potential import of the virus compared to other major destinations, such as Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai,” Ratchakitprakarn added.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Thailand has 2,966 cases including 54 deaths.
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