Thailand promotes heat-avoiding tourism

Tourists visit Wat Pho temple in Bangkok in the hot sun in late April.

Thailand’s outdoor tourism destinations are being hit by the prolonged heatwave, which has left tourists wanting to stay indoors. Somradee Chitchong, deputy director of domestic marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the harsh weather has made people reluctant to travel, especially the elderly. Many are also avoiding places like temples and pagodas and preferring to go to cool places like waterfalls.

To address the situation, TAT has promoted tourism products that attract visitors in the early morning and evening to avoid the heat, such as jogging, boating, and stargazing. They also plan to improve the sluggish business situation during the rainy season, especially in the North and Northeast regions, to compensate for the losses caused by environmental pollution that is lasting longer than expected there.

Wuthichai Luangamornlert, CEO of Siam Park City Group, which operates Siam Amazing Park in Bangkok, said the heat has caused a 5-10% drop in visitors this week. The rapid rise in average temperatures after the Lunar New Year holiday has slowed tourism business. During the Songkran festival (April 11-14), the number of visitors to the park was 10% lower than in the same period in 2023.

Tourist spending also fell 10% due to concerns about the sluggish economy this year and the sharp increase in living costs, especially electricity bills. Domestic tourists tightened their food and beverage budgets when traveling. Many chose air-conditioned shopping malls for weekend entertainment instead of visiting water parks. The main reason was also the hot weather during the day.

Tourism operators are facing challenges as operating costs have increased by 10-20% since the beginning of the year, mainly due to energy and labor costs. Not all tourism businesses have enough capital to survive these difficult times. Many establishments cannot access bank loans to maintain operations, and many tourism operators are struggling with high interest rates while their incomes have decreased.

Although it is still early summer, temperatures in Thailand in the first half of April are often between 38-40 degrees Celsius, with the temperature feeling up to 44 degrees Celsius. Not only Thailand, many areas in Southeast Asia are experiencing record heat waves, forcing millions of children to stay home when schools are closed. Experts warn that such heat waves will occur more frequently, last longer and be more intense due to climate change. The El Nino phenomenon has also made the weather this year unusually hot.

University (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/thai-lan-thuc-day-du-lich-tranh-nong-380607.html