Thailand’s aviation sector is calling on the government to introduce a visa waiver scheme for international arrivals to boost demand.
The Airlines Association of Thailand says global competition for tourists is getting tough, and the government needs to do more to attract international visitors.
“We are in a fierce competition as every country needs tourists to cushion the economic impact. Further, loosening of restrictions will help enhance our competitiveness.”
According to a Bangkok Post report, the president of the AAT and head of Bangkok Airways says the government needs to look at the costs associated with travel to Thailand.
The President of Bangkok Airways says reducing the cost of PCR testing and visa fees, along with a further easing of entry restrictions, would help to increase demand for Thai holidays.
In particular, the President of Bangkok Airways believes a visa waiver scheme would boost foreign tourist numbers and help the country achieve its goal of 10 million visitors in 2022. He also wants the current waiting period for test results under the Test and Go entry scheme to be reduced.
He believes the aviation sector in Thailand will only recover to between 20 and 30% of pre-pandemic levels, and that the industry could require support measures for up to 2 years.
Thai Lion Air says the onus is also on the government to get the virus under control in order to increase tourist confidence and allow for travel bubbles. Right now, she says demand is weak due to many tourists having to quarantine on their return home from Thailand.
Since the start of the pandemic, a number of Thai airlines have been forced to diversify their offering in order to stay afloat. Thai AirAsia has sought to make extra money from cargo and digital services via the carrier’s Super-App. Thai Airways has also turned to cargo flights, as well as repatriation services during the 2020 border closure.
Source is here
Top headlines-
* The Omicron variant of coronavirus is spreading quickly in several countries where it has been discovered. Even if it causes only mild disease -- and that's far from certain -- that could still mean many people end up in the hospital and dying.
It's killed at least one person in the UK and put 10 into the hospital -- most of them vaccinated, according to government authorities.
"It is spreading faster than the Delta variant in South Africa where Delta circulation was low, but also appears to spread more quickly than the Delta variant in other countries where the incidence of Delta is high, such as in the United Kingdom," the World Health Organization said in a technical briefing last week. (Source)
* The NTC has ordered public telecommunications entities to deploy free calls and free charging stations in areas along the path of a tropical cyclone set to enter the Philippine area of responsibility.
* China has recorded its first case of the Omicron variant, state media report authorities in the north-eastern city of Tianjin as saying.
* Researchers at the IIT-Delhi's School of Biological Sciences have developed an RT-PCR based assay for the specific detection of the Omicron.
Read story in detail: https://intdy.in/renqyv
You must be logged in to post a comment.