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Thailand hopes more tourists despite unrest
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BANGKOK: Thailand expects to draw at least 14.5 million foreign tourists this year, up from 14.15 million in 2009, as the industry has recovered quickly from recent political violence in Bangkok, the state tourism agency said.
That is below the 15.5 million it expected before political violence in April and May that killed 91 people but, despite a series of unexplained bomb or grenade attacks and a continuing state of emergency in Bangkok, travellers are returning.
"The number of tourists has improved since June, so it should not be less than 14.5 million for the whole year," Suraphon Svetasreni, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), told Reuters in a telephone interview.
"There are also good signs from forward bookings, which some airlines say are getting back to normal," Suraphon said.
Foreign arrivals to the "Land of Smiles" fell 11.8 percent in May from a year earlier before rebounding; the number was down just 0.2 per cent in June and rose nearly 15 per cent in July. In the first seven months, arrivals rose 13.8 per cent from a year earlier to 8.77 million, helped by a strong first quarter before protests turned violent and by travellers bypassing Bangkok, flying direct to the island of Phuket, for example.
Asians accounted for 55 per cent of visitors in the period, led by Malaysia, China and Japan. Europeans were the second-largest group with a 29.3 per cent share. -Reuters
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