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Asia
Pacific Airlines/
Services Canada's
Pacific Asia
Pacific Airlines/
Services Canada's
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US
TRAVEL AGENTS TO BOOST THAILAND'S POST-TSUNAMI
COMEBACK BANGKOK: Sixty-one travel
representatives from North America leave Thailand
today with one message: the Phuket and Krabi area
of southern Thailand is more than ready to receive
tourists. The American team visited
southern Thailand on a one-week inspection tour
called the "Flight of Friendship - A Mission to
Save Jobs". The delegation was a combination of
travel-related businesses, many of them PATA
chapter members and "citizen ambassadors" who
simply wanted to show solidarity for communities
affected by the December 26 tsunami. One of the Flight of
Friendship team, Mr Frederic Bursch, President of
Bursch Travel and Treasurer of the American Society
of Travel Agents, said: "I was surprised things had
recovered as much as they had. Infrastructure was
in much better shape than I thought it might be.
Customers certainly needn't fear coming. Everything
is much better than I had envisioned - and great
value." The Friendship mission
held meetings with the Tourism Authority of
Thailand which gave them DVD video evidence from
Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi and Trang provinces. The
video showed that all areas were ready to receive
tourists again, although damage to the Khao Lak and
Phi Phi areas was severe. However, even in Phi Phi
there were resorts on outlying beaches that
suffered no physical impact. These hotels are still
open and anxious to receive guests. While in Krabi, the
mission gave US$1,000 to families who lost
'longtail' water taxi boatmen on December 26. The
visitors donated life jackets and gave supplies for
local schools. PATA President and CEO Mr
Peter de Jong said: "PATA salutes the generosity
and compassion of the Flight of Friendship team.
They took direct action to help afflicted
communities in the south. The mission now goes back
to America with a positive message to tell
consumers, trade and media -- and it is a credible
message based on first-hand experience."
Azumano Travel Vice
President Mr William Harmon said that while the
physical impact in some areas of Phuket had been
minimal, the subsequent economic impact caused by
tourists cancelling was "greater than
expected". "In Krabi at the resort we
stayed at they hadn't had more than 20 rooms
occupied since the end of December and one
handicraft shop nearby hadn't made a single sale."
He added: "In front of the Phuket Hilton Arcadia
hotel the beach massage ladies had had no customers
in 10 days. Small businesses can only handle four
to six weeks of no customers. We need to get
tourists back now." At a reception at the
Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok on February 13 Mr Dozono
thanked the Thailand-based tourism industry
suppliers who had made the Flight of Friendship
possible: The Peninsula Hotel, Asia Heritage
Travel, East West Siam, the Montien Riverside Hotel
and others. The group concluded the
reception on the eve of Valentine's Day with a
chant of "America Rak Thailand" - America Loves
Thailand. ABOUT PATA
Founded in 1951, the
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is the
recognised authority on Asia Pacific travel and
tourism. PATA provides leadership and advocacy to
the collective efforts of nearly 100 government,
state and city tourism bodies, more than 55
airlines and cruise lines, and hundreds of travel
industry companies. In addition, thousands of
travel professionals belong to dozens of PATA
chapters worldwide. PATA's mission is to
enhance the growth, value and quality of Asia
Pacific travel and tourism for the benefit of its
membership. PATA is a not-for-profit
organisation. |
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Co-Chairperson
for the mission, Mr Sho Dozono, President of
Oregon-based Azumano Travel, said: "Our trip
validated what we assumed - that the damage to
Phuket was minimal. It should be high season, but
many places only have 10% occupancy. It's tragic
that the media has created an impression of
destruction. We will report back to consumers,
trade and media and push for tourism to
return."