File photo: Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn//Credit: Daily News
Thailand will collect 300 baht tourist fee from all international visitors arriving in the country from next January.
Speaking to Thai language news site Khaosod, Thailand's Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the 300 baht fee will go towards creation of a tourism fund that will help the tourism industry deal with other unforeseen problems or hardships in the future.
Mr Phiphat said that if Thailand can attract 20 million tourists in 2022, then some 6.2 billion baht could be generated for the fund.
The proposal to introduce a tourist fee was first mooted in 2019 and then formally approved by the National Tourism Policy Committee in January this year.
The idea behind the fee was that any money generated would be used in the management of tourist attractions as well as helping to cover the medical bills of uninsured tourists.
In 2019, a report by Nikkei Asia said that unpaid medical bills in Thai hospitals from tourists costs the state 448 million baht.
Last year Thai media suggested that 34 baht will go towards insurance while the rest would be used for the maintenance and development tourism sites.
Mr Phiphat also spoke on plans to re-open the country to foreign tourists from July 1.
He said that cases would need to drop to zero before the country could implement its 'Sandbox' model.
Initially, Thailand had hoped to re-open Phuket to vaccinate foreign tourists, who could stay on the island without the need to quarantine.
Mr Phiphat said there was still a chance the Phuket sandbox could go ahead but cases on the island would likely need to be zero and at least 70% of the island's population would need to have received the vaccination.
In the event the number of those vaccinated reaches its target but there are still cases being found on the island, the tourism ministry would need to seek further guidance from health officials as to whether the island could re-open.
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar