Marisa Sukosol Nunphakdee. File photo:
After Thailand tourism minister and the governor of the TAT came up with their latest bullish predictions and strategies - as reported today on ASEAN NOW - the chairwoman of the Thai Hoteliers' Association has made more sober judgments.
Marisa Sukosol Nunphakdee was talking at Thammasat University's "2022 Survival Guide" forum.
She predicted that next year more small hotels would go to the wall and close.
The sector needs to shift their focus to domestic tourism and press the government to reengage with the Chinese over encouraging the return of their nationals to Thailand.
Marisa predicted around 300,000 foreign tourists a month thru 2022 making an assessment of 3.9 million for the year.
She agreed with the government and TAT, however, that aiming for VoVs - value over volume tourists - was the way to go for future sustainability.
And agreed that it was an opportune time to seek new markets to take up the slack.
She said that basically 2021 had been a washout with only 300,000 to 400,000 foreign tourists coming in the entire year.
This compares to 40 MILLION pre-pandemic, notes ASEAN NOW with around 20% of those thought to b