There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, though many in Thailand's tourism industry may believe the light is very dim at the moment.
I believe that operators can survive amid the worldwide economic downturn and local political uncertainties if they offer something different from others Weerasak Kohsurat Chairman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand
In the face of headlines about recession, unemployment and bankruptcies, Weerasak Kohsurat still believes tourism can shine brightly - if the industry knows how to focus.
As chairman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, he is looking beyond conventional travel sectors and recommending a closer look at unique markets, They include high end tourists who love long distance cycling or "meaningful tourists" - those who love to learn about different lifestyles and help people in developing countries. He even includes travellers on luxury cruises.
"Although we haven't recorded any official numbers for these tourist niches, I still see high potential to increase them," says Mr Weerasak, a former Tourism and Sports minister.
He notes, for example, that the Queen Mary 2, the largest cruise liner of The Cunard Line, with 2,400 passengers and 2,200 crew, stopped at Laem Chabang port last month for one day and let its passengers experience Thailand.
The cruise passengers were offered a selection of tour programmes featuring Bangkok and Pattaya. These tourists enjoy boat trips to see the lifestyles of people living along canals and they also like visiting temples.
The Cunard Line recently released its world cruise itinerary for 2010, which includes calls by the Queen Mary 2 at two ports in Thailand: Laem Chabang and Phuket. The Queen Victoria will call at Laem Chabang, Phuket and Koh Samui.
Mr Weerasak said this development reflected the growth of the country's and region's tourism. This should lead to more cruises to Thailand in the future.
The meaningful tourism trend, meanwhile, is popular in Europe and should spread to Thailand soon because some associations in Europe have given money to tourism related associations to promote such activities here, he said.
Mr Weerasak said tourists in this market have high purchasing power and they could help promote Thailand world wide.
"I see many new unique market segments emerging in Thailand. I believe that operators can survive amid the worldwide economic downturn and local political uncertainties, if they offer something different from others," he said.
One market he is very interested in is long distance cycling. Tourists in this group will spend as much as 60,000 baht per person per day and many of them are millionaires he noted. Rich long-distance cyclists have big teams of assistants for their safety. They have ambulances and tents, for example, and are lavish spenders.
"The only thing I am very concerned about is tourism operators giving up," says Mr Weerasak. "Personally, I strongly believe in Thailand's tourism opportunities.
"We have a lot of products and excellent services. If the economic and political problems end, our business will certainly boom again."
He wants operators to be patient, keep fighting and improve their products.
This means offering unique activities or services for tourists to experience during vacations.
As well, he says, they should not forget regional tourists who are increasingly arriving on low cost flights.
Source - The Bangkok Post