Thailand could lose 200,000 tourists after series of bombings

(Baonghean.vn) - Thailand could lose 200,000 foreign tourists and about 293 million USD in revenue this year due to a series of bombings in tourist cities - Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said today (August 15).

A series of bombings threaten Thailand's tourism industry. Photo: EPA

Thailand’s tourism industry has been on the mend after a decade of unrest and violence, but bombings in the coastal town of Hua Hin and the island of Phuket have posed new challenges.

The attacks could have long-term consequences, reducing the number of tourists coming to Thailand - mainly from other Asian countries - as well as industry revenue, said Yuthasak Supasorn, director-general of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“From now until the end of the year, there could be between 100,000 and 200,000 tourists canceling their plans to Thailand. This could cause losses of between 146 million and 293 million USD,” said Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn.

Previously, on June 12, Mr. Narongchai Wongthanavimok, Chief Financial Officer of Thai Airways, also said that the bombings greatly affected the psychology of tourists.

Tourism accounts for 10% of Thailand’s GDP and has been one of the few bright spots in the economy since the military took power two years ago. The number of visitors from Southeast Asian countries is expected to reach 32 million in 2016, generating revenues of about $70 billion.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for last week's bombings in Thailand. Thai police said today they have arrested a suspect for arson.

Embassies in Thailand have warned their citizens to be vigilant as further attacks could occur in the future.

Diep Khanh

(According to Dailymail)