Thailand first works out tourism crisis management plan in ASEAN

BANGKOK, Jan 10 (TNA) - Thailand is working out a national strategy on tourism crisis management, the first of its kind in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports held its first meeting of an official panel in-charge of tailoring the strategy in Bangkok, on Monday (Jan 10), to discuss the national plan in preparation for any crisis affecting the domestic tourism sector in the future--in which representatives of agencies concerned took part, including the Thai ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Public Health, Transport, the Metropolitan Police Bureau and the Consumer Protection Board.

Permanent Secretary for Thailand's Tourism and Sports Thanittha Savetsila Maneechote, who chaired the meeting, said the strategy will comprise of a new set of regulations to pioneer coordination from all parties concerned, over the effective management of the Thai tourism industry, in case of any disease outbreak, natural disaster, terrorism or even political uncertainties in the country, to boost confidence in the Kingdom among international visitors. Thanittha insisted the unprecedented strategy is imperative to confidence-building among global travellers--who have continued to visit the Kingdom in a large number.

The senior Thai tourism and sports official revealed that the first meeting included discussions on case-studies in tourism management of Germany, the United States and Malaysia, and that the committee will raise a proposed framework of the strategy before the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)'s Asian Regional Meeting in May this year. (TNA)