State authorities over past weeks have made big efforts to attract more Chinese tourists to come to Thailand.
On Jan 20, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) threw a feast for 10,000 Chinese tourists at Impact Muang Thong Thani. The banquet, presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, was themed "We Care About You" and featured as a highlight almost five tonnes of sticky rice and mango, a favourite Thai dessert among Chinese.
The feast gained heavy public attention, but not quite in the way it was planned. In fact, the much-publicised banquet drew criticism because of massive leftovers.
In a bid to defend the event, the TAT claimed it used only a small budget, about 7.48 million baht, from its own coffers, while the private sector helped absorb the expenses, with an undisclosed amount of "contributions".
At the same time, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has also joined the tourism bandwagon. If things go as planned, Chinese tourists can apply for online visas, starting in the middle of next month.
The efforts are deemed necessary as China arrivals have become a major contributor to Thailand's tourism growth. The number of visits by Chinese tourists fell 6.7% month-on-month in August and plunged more than 25% in September before bouncing back in November. The number has bounced back much to the relief of those concerned.
The massive decline in the month of August was attributed to a boat accident in Phuket in July which killed 47 Chinese tourists. The tragedy, known as the Phoenix incident, captivated the Chinese mainstream as well as social media. Careless comments from Gen Prawit -- "Chinese doing it to Chinese" -- as the tour boat was operated by a Chinese firm, only made the matter worse. Following the unfortunate slurs from a top guy in the military regime, those concerned rushed to roll out damage control plans.
It's quite certain that the sticky rice and mango feast was part of the plan, which ambitiously aims to increase the number of Chinese tourists to 11 million this year, and 15 million in the next five years. But a feast, no matter how sumptuous it was, is not enough.
It's a welcome sign that the state, in particular the tourism authorities, is trying to correct the problem. Yet the state must be aware that it needs more than gimmicks or senseless excuses to maintain tourism in the long run. What is needed is an honest confrontation with the issues that taint Thai tourism, and to tackle them straightforwardly. In short, they must do whatever they can to roll out what is meant to be quality tourism.
To begin with, tourism authorities should know all tourists want safety. They must ensure that tour operators observe the laws and regulations, and not place their clients' lives at risk. Sad incidents like the Phoenix boat disaster must not be allowed to happen again.
People running transport businesses -- such as taxis and tuk-tuks -- don't have the right to exploit tourists. They should be providing service with honesty. They should know that by greedily grabbing a short-term advantage, and refusing to turn on meters in the case of taxis, they are harming themselves in the long run.
Safety includes measures to avoid health risk. People have spent a great deal of time talking about the impact of haze on local people's health in Bangkok, and also in the city of Chiang Mai which will see similar problems re-emerge around the month of March. But sooner, rather than later, the haze problem is bound to affect the tourism sector.
Authorities must step up efforts to get rid of phony hospitality and instead make all concerned parties provide a high standard of service. Tourist scams must be dealt with seriously. The state must also do more to fix the two-tiered pricing system, starting with tourist destinations operated by state agencies such as zoos and museums.
More importantly, the country must seriously think about long-term tourism development. There must be a master plan to preserve tourist destinations located in natural reserves. The plan must give attention to carrying capacity, and implement measures that allow those natural places to maintain and increase their ability to be resilient.
In short, the "We Care About You" campaign should mean more than a sumptuous feast or meaningless events. It must aim at quality and sustainable practices that should be extended to tourists of all nationalities.
