“We can’t allow people to come to Thailand and say it’s cheap,” said Thailand’s deputy prime minister at a tourism development event. To “weed out” the poor, he urged hoteliers not to cut prices to attract foreign tourists and instead focus on enhancing the country’s value as a premium travel destination. The Thai official’s statement was quoted by The Daily Star newspaper.
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul compared his approach to tourism to that of luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton. “Don’t give up. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers. Otherwise, Louis Vuitton would have no sales,” he said.
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We will remind you, that in the first six months of this year, Thailand received about 2 million foreign tourists, which was a sure sign of the revival of tourism after the coronavirus pandemic. While in the year before 2019, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia received 40 million people who spent $53.53 billion, which is equivalent to 11% of the gross domestic product.
Earlier this year, Thailand launched a long-term visa program for wealthy foreigners and skilled workers, sticking to its plan to attract high-paying tourists despite tourism business losses during the pandemic.
By the way, earlier DIP wrote that “The authorities of Phuket announced that the resorts are ready for a tsunami.”