Tourism bodies want govt action

The goal is to recoup business ahead of the high season.

"We will seek help from the ministry," said Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the council, who said the government should take the lead in clarifying the facts about the political turbulence.

The state of emergency that was declared on September 2, and remained in force until last Sunday, caused great damage to the sector with cancellations of tourism-related activities worth up to Bt70 billion.

The private sector also urged the next government to restore tourist confidence, or Thailand would miss out on the chance to make money during the high season, which runs from October until the end of January.

The TCT projects that tourism revenue this year could drop by 30 per cent if visitors do not start returning soon. The sector generates about 7 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

Five-star hotels in Bangkok have reported a drop of 20 to 30 per cent in occupancy rates and revenue this month, compared to August. Key tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Kanchanaburi have also reported huge cancellations since early in the month.

The average hotel occupancy rate in Phuket is down 30 per cent from last month, while hotels in Pattaya and Chanthaburi have suffered from cancellations of up to 50 per cent for the high season.

Many hotels in other provinces have experienced cancellations of about 10 per cent.

Meanwhile, souvenir shops have reported a 50-per-cent fall in revenue from last month, while the Restaurant Association's members have seen their revenue drop Bt100 million during the 10 days that the state of emergency was in effect.

The Tourist Bus Operators Association said 85 per cent of its bookings had been cancelled.

The TCT also urged companies and government bodies to allow their staff to take longer vacations to boost domestic travel.

The 23 countries that issued travel warnings have different degrees of emphasis in their advisories.

Australia, for example, warns tourists with a high degree of caution, while Belgium raises concern about services such as electricity and water.

Canada's warning is for a high level of caution, while China advises its nationals to travel in groups, pay attention to the situation and adjust their itinerary accordingly. Taiwan issued a similar warning.