Is mass tourism a thing of the past in Thailand?

Is mass tourism a thing of the past in Thailand as the streets of the most popular tourist destinations are unnervingly quiet.
Along Chaweng’s Beach Road, a usually raucous party area, shuttered shops stretch into the distance.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was buzzing with traffic. Now, taxi drivers sit on the roadside, with little hope of finding customers.

Where bikini-clad sunseekers once browsed souvenir shops and drank at neon-lit bars, a lone street dog stretches on the pavement.

Elsewhere, swathes of Samui’s idyllic, sandy white beaches are almost entirely free of people.

About 40 million tourists flocked to Thailand last year, drawn by its spectacular coastlines, ornate temples and famous cuisine.

In 2022, the country will struggle to attract even a quarter of that number, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Tourism ground to a halt in April, when Thailand imposed a ban on all incoming passenger flights. The country – which has so far managed to contain Covid-19, recording 3,255 cases and 58 deaths – is discussing travel bubbles with low-risk neighbouring countries, but no one knows when these might be established. Borders remain shut to almost all foreign tourists.

The travel sector has survived devastating crises before, including the 2004 tsunami, bird flu and Sars outbreaks.

But the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is beyond comparison, says Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor for marketing communication at the TAT.

During previous crises, revenue dropped by around a fifth, he said. This year, the coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause a 80% fall in revenues. “It’s a huge impact,” he said.

To make matters worse, Thailand’s economy has become even more reliant on tourism, accounting for almost 20% of GDP, according to Tanes. About 4.4 million people are employed across the industry – in transport, travel agencies, restaurants and hotels.

In Samui, many have gone for months without work. Before coronavirus, Jarunee Kasorn, who works in a local massage parlour in Chaweng, says her colleagues would welcome up to 90 clients a day.

They’re one of the few businesses to reopen on Beach Road, but a whole day can go by without a single customer. “If there are no tourists, then there’s no business,” she said.

Most of the shop’s 20 staff have left the island altogether, and returned to their family homes elsewhere in Thailand.

Though modest social assistance payments were offered to workers during lockdown, this is no longer available.

“Many people say we won’t die from Covid, but we will die because we are not able to eat,” says Ta Sasiwinom, who has just reopened her stall at an outdoor market in Fishermen’s Village, known as the walking street. The past few months have been a struggle for her and her two daughters. “We cook more cheaply – eating egg and rice, rice and egg,” she says.

Parts of the market, and the nearby beach, have begun to return to life. There are groups of visitors and locals peering at the discounted stalls, but it is still nowhere near as busy as it would usually be.

Among those shopping are tourists stuck abroad, foreign residents living in Thailand, and Thais – who the government has encouraged to travel domestically through a stimulus package that offers subsidised hotel bookings.

The scheme, and a looming long weekend, has provided a welcome boost, says Lloyd Maraville, general manager of Nora Buri resort and spa.

Of the hotel’s 144 rooms, about 100 are empty, though this will fall to 85 over the holiday.

Government measures, he adds, “might sustain hotels for a while but it will not be a long-term [solution].” Rooms have been booked at far below the usual rates. “Profit is out of the question at this moment, we just want to maintain the resort,” he says.

Tanes believes that when tourism is able to begin again, the industry will be altered completely.

He hopes for positive change. “I think this is a good time for Thailand to upskill the human resources of the industry to move Thailand [away] from [being an] overcrowded tourist destination,” he says. Mass tourism, and the dependence on large tour groups, he argues, will be a thing of the past.

In Samui, businesses are focused on survival for now. Just last month it was announced that nearly 100 local hotel owners had been forced to sell. Many more remain shut indefinitely.

“I’ve lived here for 20 years and I’m shocked, I never thought it could be like this,” says Rattanaporn Chadakarn, who runs a stall at the walking street.

No one knows if the Great Panic will continue. For now, she adds, everyone is just waiting for the skies to reopen.

Source - BangkokJack

VISA AGENT

Thailand can earn THB1.5 trillion by opening on Nov 1

 

The government hopes to reopen Bangkok and some towns in four provinces to foreigners without a quarantine requirement from November 1, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana has said.
The towns waiting to reopen are Muang, Mae Rim, Mae Taeng and Doi Tao in Chiang Mai, Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Cha-am in Phetchaburi and Pattaya City, Bang Lamung and Sattahip in Chonburi.

“These places will be reopened provided there are no big or serious infection clusters between now and November 1,” he said. “The other conditions for visitors are that they must be fully jabbed and test negative for Covid-19 before arrival.”

Thanakorn added that the government expects revenue from tourism in 2022 to reach 1.5 trillion baht, of which 850 billion baht will come from Thai tourists who are expected to take 160 million trips in total and 650 billion baht from 15 million foreign tourists.

“The 1.5-trillion-baht target is about half of the total tourism revenue earned in 2019 before Covid-19 hit Thailand,” he added.

Thanakorn also said that as of September 27, the Phuket Sandbox scheme which kicked off on July 1, has generated 2.33 billion baht in revenue.

As of Thursday, there were 43,026 arrivals under this scheme and most of the tourists came from the United States, Israel, United Kingdom, Germany and France. – The Nation

Source - BangkokJack

Our VISA AGENT

BREAKING: Bali airport to start welcoming foreign travelers on Oct. 14

Indonesia has set a specific date for the reopening of Bali to international travelers, as one of the country’s top officials announced this afternoon that the province’s airport will start welcoming foreign visitors on Oct. 14.

The long-awaited announcement came from Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who stressed that foreign visitors must quarantine for a minimum of 8 days upon arrival, and are expected to show proof of hotel booking for this purpose, among other requirements.

“There are several countries we will be open to: South Korea, China, Japan, [United Arab Emirates], and also New Zealand,” Luhut said during a virtual press conference.

Further details have yet to be announced at this point, but as have been the case with previous major announcements regarding COVID-19 restrictions in Indonesia, they should be expected from other officials in the next few days.

During the press conference, Luhut also reminded Indonesians to refrain from “excessive euphoria” amid the loosening of restrictions, as the country’s COVID-19 numbers continue to decline.

Source - Coconuts

Our - VISA AGENT
 

Travel restrictions eased at 40% of global tourist destinations: UNWTO

 

 

 

 Forty percent of tourist destinations worldwide have eased the travel restrictions implemented in response to COVID-19, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Of the 87 destinations reported to have eased restrictions in the July UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report, four have completely lifted all restrictions and the other 83 have still kept some protocols in place, like partial border closures.

The other 115 destinations have still kept their borders completely closed for tourism.

“The restart of tourism can be undertaken responsibly and in a way that safeguards public health while also supporting businesses and livelihoods,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in a statement released on July 30. “As destinations continue to ease restrictions to travel, international cooperation is of paramount importance. This way, global tourism can gain people’s trust and confidence, essential foundations as we work together to adapt to the new reality we now face.”

Destinations with a higher dependency on tourism are more likely to ease travel restrictions, according to the report, with 20 out of the 87 destinations in the report being Small Island Developing States (SIDS), many of which depend on tourism for employment and economic growth and development.

Around half of the destinations (41) are in Europe, another popular tourist destination.

The majority of the destinations in the report, specifically 88 of them, are still completely closed for tourism and have been for more than 12 weeks now. The shutdown has already seen a reported loss of US$320 million by the end of May in tourism, which is three times the loss incurred during the 2009 global financial crisis.

Three percent of destinations had reopened in mid-May, rising to 22 percent mid-June.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Thailand - Major makeover proposed for Pattaya’s Walking Street

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Thailand - Major makeover proposed for Pattaya’s Walking Street

… but few are impressed. Images on the Facebook page of Pattaya City reveal plans for a major re-imagining and makeover of one of the resort’s most notable, and notorious, landmarks – Walking Street. Gone are the grotty road, broken pavements and lurid signs and frontages, and in their place will be an easy to navigate walking area fit for families.

Problem is the tourists and traffic Walking Street has attracted in the past are likely not interested in the swish makeover and quite liked the red light atmosphere and the bar girls in hot pants leaning out of the noisy bars.

But the Thai government has seemed fixated on cleaning up the streets’ reputation for years, with little success. Now, the futuristic design and slick new look make the red light district look like just another shopping street. Online critics are already jumping on the bandwagon saying it will be “just another mall.”

“There is not a hanging wire – or streetwalker – in sight!” one complained. Where are the tangled coils of telephone and power cables? Where are the neon signs with at least one letter not working? Where will the crusty old expats end up if they’re pushed out of Walking Street?

The designs were presented by the city’s engineering team to Pattaya’s mayor and his deputies yesterday, to an apparently “lukewarm” reception.

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The mayor remarked that Walking Street has to be “fit for purpose” and any revamp “must not adversely affect livelihoods. Though he seemed to agree that the area must be fit for daytime as well as nightlife use, he stressed that any makeover must ensure that the “special smell and flavour” of Walking Street are maintained. Oh yes, THAT smell.

“After all, Pattaya is a renowned world class resort. And it must be able to generate revenue, that’s important.”

He sent the engineers away to revise their designs ahead of the next discussion on the issue.

Thai and foreign comments on the news were extensive and mixed. Most agreed that it’s time for a makeover, but opinion differed widely over exactly how and how much.

The reality for the city is that the Walking Street occupies prime real estate and the owners of the land want to maximise the potential value of retail and food and beverage offerings, and would prefer that it had a broader appeal beyond its raunchy nighttime-only activities. It’s inevitable that the red-light district will move into lower-rent areas of the city.
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Source - ThaiVisa / The Thaiger

#Croatia welcomes tourists braving coronavirus crisis

A few intrepid European tourists have returned to Croatia's picturesque Adriatic coast, where the owners of yachts and campsites are hoping their relative isolation will bring the numbers up over the next six weeks.

In the Dalmatian port of Krilo-Jesenice, the Black Swan is among dozens of sailing cruisers still tied up. Six weeks of lockdown began to be eased late last month, two weeks after the season should have begun.

"Sadly, we're still stuck here waiting for the first guests, said owner Denis Grubisa, whose yacht can accommodate 38. "We hope guests will start pouring in from late June or early July."

Even a dozen at a time would make him very happy, he said.

Further up the coast near Split, an ancient port city packed with visitors throughout a normal summer, two couples from Germany have the run of the Stobrec camping facility, which can take up to 1,100 people.

"I don't think about corona.virus because we have enough distance," one of them, Rudi, said with a smile.

Tourism accounts for almost a fifth of Croatia's economic output, which the government expects to shrink by almost 10 percent this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But it still hopes to earn four billion euros from the sector, a third of last year's income, after containing the spread of the disease. Reported COVID-19 deaths stand at just 101, with case numbers at 2,244.

"For the majority of our guests we're reachable by car," said Veljko Ostojic from the Croatian Tourist Association. "Safety standards are in line with recommendations by the experts."

Distance and disinfection

Croatia has reopened its border with Slovenia and expects a rising number of guests from Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia from early June and from Germany or Poland later in the month, by which time hotels are also set to reopen.

The Simuni campsite, on the island of Pag, opened on May 15, one of the first to begin the most uncertain summer season since Croatia's war of independence from former Yugoslavia in 1990s.

"So far we've had some Croatian guests and a few from Slovenia," Tena Hoti, who is in charge of contact with clients, said, reporting a growing number of inquiries.

"Now we're strongly focused on making sure that our employees and guests feel safe."

The site, which normally also attracts Austrians, Germans and Italians, can accommodate around 4,000 people in their own vehicles or tents as well as in bungalows.

Employees wear masks, gloves and visors and buildings are often disinfected, with hand sanitizer available at entrances.

Guests are asked to keep at least 1.5 meters apart, including on the beach, where employees are supposed to monitor to prevent the overcrowding seen at many beauty spots worldwide when lockdowns end.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Thailand - Tourism sector will only start recovering next year, say experts

Businesses that have been severely affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, especially those that rely mainly on tourism in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), are in dire need of support.

Pratya Samalapa, vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), however, said it is still too early to predict when the tourism industry will recover as it relies mainly on arrivals from China.

He said there may be fewer tourists even after the government lifts travel restrictions as many countries are still struggling with the pandemic and blocking overseas travel to curb the contagion.

“After the tourism business is unlocked, there will only be some stranded Thais returning and maybe some groups arriving to hold seminars. This may help some businesses, but will not be able to stimulate recovery, especially since this region fully relies on foreign tourists,” Pratya said.

The private sector is working on tourism stimulus measures to propose to the government. The proposal will focus on domestic travel to help tourism businesses survive, before preparations can be made to take in foreign tourists once the outbreak ends.

Meanwhile, Teerin Tanyawattanakul, chair of the Chonburi Chamber of Commerce, said the agency has discussed the Phase 2 of the relaxation of measures with the provincial authorities, and is considering lifting restrictions on golf courses, parks, hotels, resorts, restaurants and tourist attractions in the province.

Tourism has been hit the hardest by the Covid-19 outbreak, with most tourists having disappeared and operators losing 80 to 90 per cent of their income.

The Chonburi and EEC Tourism Development Plan, which does not cover Pattaya City and Bangsaen, was created to promote other attractions in the province, such as the Hundred Pillar House or Ban Roi Sao.

“We expect the Covid-19 outbreak to end by the beginning of 2021 and travel should once again begin once the vaccine is found. The tourism sector in Chonburi should return to normal by the second quarter of next year,” Teerin said.

Thanate Vorasaran, vice president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said the eastern region is suffering the most and not much can be done because it relies mainly on foreign arrivals.

All borders to Thailand are still closed and no tourists are allowed to land. It is believed that Thai nationals may be allowed to travel overseas by the beginning of July, and the government may allow interprovincial travel soon if the number of new Covid-19 cases remains low.

Most foreign nationals will not be allowed to enter Thailand for most of this year, though it is believed that Chinese tourists may be allowed into the country by July as the number of infections in the country is under control. Operators believe there will be a large influx of Chinese tourists because they are not able to travel anywhere else.

“TCT predicts that the number of tourists in 2021 will match the number in 2019. Hence, it is important for operators in the tourism sector to start preparing for the influx,” Thanate said.

Source - The Nation

Indonesia - Bali named among top post-pandemic destinations

Bali is among the international destinations such as Andalusia and Catalonia in Spain, as well as Florida in the United States, listed as the most desirable places to visit after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The travel industry has been one of the hardest-hit sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic, but travelers around the world have also been eager to get back on the proverbial road and visit new holiday destinations.

Dutch online ticketing company Booking.com has recorded growing wishlists on its app, listed by people in quarantine around the world in March and April.

On the list, Bali ranks second among the most desirable tourist destinations.

The island is listed along with international destinations such as Andalusia and Catalonia in Spain, as well as Florida in the United States. Krasnodar Krai in Russia tops the list.

In a statement, Booking.com said the list was based on the number of likes for properties listed on the app.

The data was compiled in March and April and compared to similar data in March and April 2019.

Alongside Bali, there are 27 Indonesian destinations on the list, such as West Nusa Tenggara, Jakarta, Yogyakarta and West Java.

The list also revealed that Indonesian users on the app are hesitant to plan international journeys after the pandemic.

Around 76 percent of Indonesian users’ wishlists comprise domestic destinations in sunny cities and places with beaches, such as Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bandung in West Java, and Ubud and Seminyak in Bali.

Meanwhile, international destinations are dominated by Asian metropolitans, such as Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Seoul.

On Saturday, Reuters reported that Bali could reopen to tourists in October, following the government's success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak. If the infection curve continues to improve, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is looking to revitalize destinations and do promotional work for some parts of the country, including Bali, between June and October.

Source - #TheJakartaPost

Indonesia - Borobudur, Prambanan temples to reopen in June

Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko temples in Central Java will be reopened for tourists in June after the popular tourists destinations were closed for the past three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We plan to reopen the temples on June 8,” said Edy Setijono, director of PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, as quoted by kompas.com.

He said the reopening of the temples would comply with the COVID-19 protocols suggested by the government, in particular by the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry.

“When the temples are reopened, they will be run in accordance with the 'new normal' tourism,” Edy said.

He said that the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry had recommended tourist destinations implement a “cleanliness, health and safety” (CHS) program.

“This program is crucial as the pandemic has changed our habits. The public now cares more about cleanliness, health and safety, including in tourism,” he said.

In compliance with the protocols, the management of the temples will require visitors to wear face masks and go through temperature check posts. They will also be required to practice physical distancing.

“We will provide hand washing stations every 100 meters as well as signage and information boards explaining the COVID-19 protocols,” Edy said.

To reduce interactions between visitors and staff, the management will use cashless ticketing.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Phuket Airport to reopen Saturday morning with limited flights and extra paperwork

International Airport to re-open from the morning of Saturday, May 16, less than two days away. Two days ago officials from the local provincial hall participated in an inspection of all the changes and preparations made to cater for passenger travel in the Covid era.

The Phuket International Airport is one of the last major airports to re-open to passenger traffic and commercial flights. The CAAT ordered the airport closed on April 3 to restrict air travel as health authorities nationwide battled to contain the spread of the virus at the time.

The order says that people arriving in Phuket from other provinces will be required to fill in an a form describing their travel history, particularly recently and information about where they are staying whilst on the island. At this stage the opening of the airport is only to limited domestic flights.

“All people leaving the island must register their health condition on the AOT Airports app.”

A ban remains in force for international flights at least until May 31 and a possibility that it could be extended another 15 days.

For land departures there has been a requirement for Phuket people, arriving in some provinces, to adhere to a 14 day quarantine. This order from the CAAT does not mention that requirement. We will post more information when it becomes available.

Currently land departures are required to have a fit-to-travel document saying that they have been in self-quarantine for 14 days before their date of travel. That has not been specified for air travel at this stage.

3 airlines have already notified the PIA of their plans to resume limited domestic passenger services in and out of Phuket, at one flight a day, according to the governor. Other domestic airports have been opened up around the country for limited services.

Provincial authorities also agreed yesterday to ask the Interior Ministry to allow reopening of all sea and road links from Saturday. No approval has been given at this stage.

The first flight we could see that was available for booking was a 9.30am flight on Monday morning with Air Asia from Phuket (HKT) to Don Mueang in Bangkok (DMK) for the princely sum of 4,686 baht.

Aircraft are also requiring specific seating to avoid people sitting next to each other and an insistence that passengers must wear masks. There is also no food and beverage services allowed on domestic services at this stage and travelers are urged to arrive at the airport 3 hours before their flight for additional check in procedures.

Source - The Thaiger

Surviving lockdown in my Thai paradise

Opera singer and producer Niall Morris has found himself stranded in Bangkok with his husband Woody during the coronavirus pandemic

Back in 2010, along with my friend Terry from London, I visited Thailand purely by chance. We were on a winter holiday in Penang, Malaysia where Terry was less than impressed with the weather.

“Darling, it’s cloudy again,” he said one morning, in his disapproving Princess Margaret voice. “I can’t possibly go back to London without a tan to annoy my work colleagues.”

“It’s 35°C and sunny in Thailand,” I replied casually, looking at the weather forecast on TV.

Terry’s face lit up.

“I’m already packing, darling,” he gushed, in a flurry of hatboxes.

And with that spur of the moment decision, the future trajectory of my life was changed.

We took a one-hour flight from Penang to Bangkok and checked into a twin room on the 23rd floor of the Shangri-La hotel, with stunning views over the Chao Phraya river. That evening we went to Telephone Bar in the vibrant Silom district and got chatting with a group of friendly locals.

One of them, called Woody, had a dazzling smile and offered to take me on a motorbike tour of Bangkok by night. I ran the suggestion past Terry whose reply was “off you go darling!” And so, in a moment of Shirley Valentine spontaneity, I was whisked off on a scooter down a labyrinth of hot, steaming streets, where tall glass skyscrapers towered over makeshift wooden shacks and spicy chicken soup was being cooked at every corner. It was a thrill to the senses and from that first sultry, humid night in Bangkok, I was hooked.

When I got back to my hotel in the early hours of the morning, I was very surprised to find that Terry, along with all his hatboxes, had left. All that remained was a brief note on my bed: “Gone to Koh Samui. I want to be alone.”

Suddenly, I found myself 10,000km from home, all alone in a foreign country where I knew no one. I’m sure the sensible decision would have been to go back to Ireland and forget about the whole experience but, instead, I reached into my pocket and took out a little piece of paper with a neatly written telephone number and the words: “Call me! – Woody.”

Over the next few days, Woody and I visited some of Bangkok’s most famous tourist attractions. First, we went by motorbike taxi to the Grand Palace, the official ceremonial residence of the king. Built in 1782 by King Rama 1, it’s a huge complex on the west bank of the river and includes the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Some of it is open to the public, as long as you are well covered and have appropriate footwear (no flip-flops). Next, we took one of the frequent river boats down to Sathorn – a great way to see the towering skyline of the city – and disembarked at Saphan Taksin right next to the Shangri-La hotel. By early evening we were sitting in a side street outside a little restaurant that served the best fish in Bangkok for about €3.50 a main course.

Later that night, Woody brought me to App Arena Club to see his friend Coco, a sensational drag artiste, who lip-synched flawlessly to Whitney Houston – and looked very like her too. It was a whirlwind sightseeing tour which I would never have experienced if Terry hadn’t made his dramatic dash to Koh Samui.

A year later, Woody came to live with me in Ireland and we entered into a civil partnership in 2014. Ever since, we have made a trip each year to Thailand and we’ve built a little house in the rice fields near where he grew up, about 500km north of Bangkok.

In March, Woody and I arrived for our annual holiday in Thailand but now, like the rest of the world, we are caught in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Thai government has responded swiftly with draconian measures to contain the spread of the virus.

The beaches of the south are closed, patrolled day and night by drones; Phuket is in total lockdown (no one can enter or leave the island) and the bright lights of Bangkok’s world-famous nightlife have been turned off.

Throughout the country, there’s a strictly enforced curfew and anyone caught outside after 10pm could end up with a hefty fine or, worse still, a year in the Bangkok Hilton!

Controversially, there has been a total ban on the sale of alcohol since April 1. Thais are very sociable people and love nothing more than to gather at a friend’s house for a game of cards over a bottle of local whiskey but, in general, they are law-abiding and compliant and these strict measures have been highly effective.

To date, there are just 2,969 coronavirus cases in Thailand and while, sadly, there have been 54 deaths, in a country of nearly 70 million, these numbers are extremely low.

One of the other key tactics here has been to radically reduce international travel.

All foreigners have been banned from entering Thailand and Thai citizens returning from abroad must quarantine for 14 days at an appointed place.

Our return flights to Ireland on KLM have been cancelled, leaving us somewhat stranded here.

But at least we are not accidental tourists shipwrecked in an strange land. We are staying at Woody’s sister’s house in a private gated community in a leafy suburb of Bangkok. I start each morning with coffee in the garden, after which I teach English to our gorgeous nephew Hummer who is almost four years old and already nearly bilingual.

Woody’s sister and her husband both work in the property and construction business and, in a typically Thai gesture where family is paramount, they’ve told us we can stay as long as we want.

Since May 3, Thailand has started taking tentative steps towards getting its economy moving again. Outdoors markets are opening up, along with some cafes and restaurants and, for the first time in nearly two months, little Hummer has been released from the confines of his garden to play at the local park. Last week, we all visited the nearby King Rama IX Park and watching him whizzing around on his little green bicycle was pure joy.

In those early days, when I first visited Bangkok, I used to wonder what it would be like to live in Thailand – but I always lacked the courage to give it a try.

Now, with my classical music career on hold and a global pandemic forcing us all to rethink our lives, I have found myself here more by chance than by choice.

But what a blessing it is.

As restrictions are easing, our next plan is to all go up to our village house to help harvest the rice fields and mango and banana trees. These dazzling days in Thailand are a long way from Mozart and Puccini – but the joyous connection with family and nature is like waking up each morning to an unexpected paradise.

Source - Pattaya One News

Europe's countries seeking to relaunch tourism

Northern Europeans may not be able to decamp to the beaches of the Mediterranean this summer because of the coronavirus, but will their governments support the devastated tourism sector?

Beach destinations like Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal are already among the European Union (EU) members facing a daunting struggle with debt – and now their vital travel and leisure industries are on the line.

Together with five more southern allies – France, Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania – has urged the 27-member EU to help save this "strategic" economic resource.

The EU is seeking to put together a trillion-euro economic stimulus package, to kickstart the economy as a whole when the coronavirus lockdowns come to an end.

But, already rebuffed once, when they asked to share debt with their northern neighbors, southern countries are now sounding the alarm about the lost summer season.

The European Commission has been tasked with agreeing the rules of the relaunch, and on April 27, tourism ministers from member states held a video conference.

Afterwards, the nine southern members released a statement.

In our countries, tourism constitutes a strategic industry," they said.

"We would like the EU Recovery Plan to include strong support for tourism and to recognize the existence of certain territories with specificities that must be met."

The southern friends also urged "homogenous" travel rules, fearing that a piecemeal withdrawal of lockdown measures will distort the tourism market and isolate needy areas.

Read also: 'Don't cancel, postpone': Portugal urges tourists in voucher scheme

Brussels attempted in vain to coordinate the lockdown and keep the EU's internal borders open, but many national capitals imposed unilateral restrictions on unnecessary visits.

EU member states have now begun setting a variety of target dates and criteria for a return to normal, and some expect to urge or require their citizens to stay at home this year.

"Public health makes the law these days," said French minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, in an AFP interview.

"As soon as we get word on the opening of the borders, we'll let you know. It's important that areas that have not been affected are not exposed to the virus.

"We should promote Europe as a destination in and of itself, and avoid competition within the bloc," he said, while admitting domestic tourism will probably recover before trips abroad.

At the meeting, Croatia's tourism minister Gari Cappelli and EU single market commissioner Thierry Breton suggested members work on a harmonized strategy on hygiene rules.

In Breton's office, a source said they were aiming to have advice ready by mid-May so hoteliers, restaurateurs, tour operators and transport firms were working with the same tool kit.

This reflects the concern expressed by German foreign minister Heiko Maas in the Bild newspaper, that a dangerous free-for-all race between rival resorts to re-open could revive the epidemic.

Experts trace many of the cases of coronavirus in northern Europe to the Austrian ski station of Ischgl, popular with winter partygoers, and do not want beach hotspots like Majorca to play the same role in summer. 

Source - TheJakartaPost