The number of tourists arriving in Thailand in the first half of 2020 will decline by 50% due to an outbreak of coronavirus, says Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
His forecast is confirmed by the low level of tourist arrivals to the main airports of the country and minimal preliminary booking of hotels. From February 1 to 9, the total number of tourists decreased by 43.5%, and Chinese tourists - by 86.6%.
According to the minister, a 50% drop in the tourist flow will be catastrophic for millions of Thai people who are directly or indirectly engaged in the hospitality industry of the Kingdom, not to mention companies and investors in the vast tourism and hotel infrastructure.
Trying to save the industry, which constitutes a significant part of the country's economy, the Thai government also foresaw that it was ready to provide some financial resources, including soft loans, tax incentives and training in exchange for income, to tour operators affected by the outbreak of coronavirus.
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