A winning way to bring in tourists

A winning way to bring in tourists

The catch-phrase "Thailand, the Land of Smiles" never fails to weave its magic on tourists around the world.

I totally agree with the description: Thailand is a very beautiful country, rich in culture and historical heritage as well as nature and good food. We have the sea, sand and sun that many Western people want to experience and Thai people are so generous and friendly to tourists.

With these strengths, the Thai tourism industry should have prospered and developed to the point that Thailand played a leading role in the Southeast Asian region. But in reality it seems more like Thai tourism has got stuck, with no new exciting products or developments for so long.

How has this come about? It could be because of the domestic political uncertainties and the intense competition from other countries. Moreover, the global economic downturn, especially in Europe and the United States, has made a lot of potential tourists give up or delay their travel plans.

Like many countries depending on tourism revenues, Thailand can't escape this unwelcome situation, but the degree of impact relies solely on the capability of the government in managing it.

It's true that the Thai tourism sector has been hit hard by negative factors these past few years. However, it's not too late to do something to turn the situation around.

It's time for the Yingluck Shinawatra government to outline a long-term strategic plan and direction for tourism. An ambitious goal must be set and the government must carry out all action plans consistently to make them happen.

We have to fill up many missing pieces in the jigsaw of Thailand's tourism industry.

The authorities, particularly those at the Tourism and Sports Ministry, should listen to what the private sector really needs. Listen to both positive and negative opinions, and impose proper measures to raise the competitiveness of Thai tourism.

The several tourism executives I spoke with all wanted to give their opinions to Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa, who is the new hope to help shape the future of Thai tourism.

Firstly, Thailand should improve its transport network to provide convenience to both local people and tourists. Currently, many infrastructure projects are not tourist friendly. Take the Airport Rail Link project for example. It is not convenient for tourists with luggage to use this rail link to go to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Makkasan Station, since they would have to carry their heavy bags and walk a long way to reach the check-in counters. There are no escalators at this station, which is so isolated, with no link to the nearby BTS skytrain.

And if you come back from Suvarnabhumi to Makkasan, you will find it very difficult to find a taxi, as the cabs are not interested in waiting there to pick up passengers. So, tourists will likely have to stand there for a long time, next to a pile of luggage.

Moreover, the Airport Rail Link's train carriages don't have a specific space for luggage and passengers can only place their belongings in front of the seats.

The government should also build a mass transit system to connect big exhibition and convention centres (like Impact Muang Thong Thani) with inner city areas.

Secondly, we should take the protection of tourism destinations and their natural environment very seriously. Don't forget that most foreign tourists visit Thailand because they want to be impressed by our natural beauty. If these sights are ruined or spoiled, the tourists will go to other countries like Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, where the natural environment is fresh and well cared for.

Thirdly, Thailand should craft new tourism products to promote the country. We have to ask ourselves what should be the new selling point - after beautiful nature, culture, food and Thai hospitality. Should we have a casino like Singapore and Malaysia?

If the answer is yes, then we should go for it. I think Thailand could have a series of proper measures to control casinos like Singapore does. It's almost unbelievable that Singapore's tourism industry grew substantially after the opening of its casinos, which proved to be a big contributor to last year's GDP growth of 14%.

Such a new selling point will help reinforce the branding and positioning of Thailand among the international community.

Let's hope Mr Chumpol considers these options. It's time Thailand came up with new ideas for tourism and made them happen.