We welcome the Government‘s efforts opening Thailand but the regulations and software to get a pass are still not user friendly enough”.

I asked him what he saw as his greatest challenges currently in promoting tourism to Thailand? He replied “There are too many conflicting or unprecise public communications. Vaccination is doing well but not everywhere. We have not reached safe herd immunity levels in some provinces”, said President Wolfgang. 

He added ”The industry has not used the Covid downtime to focus and install more sustainable tourism products to safeguard the future of our children. For instance, I am based in Krabi and we have many boats using our waterways and trips to the island in a normal year. The Government needs to promote electric marine, river and lake tourism transport,” he said.

Moving the discussion nationally I asked him what will change for tourism around Thailand? He replied, “Nothing really will change. Phuket will lead most of mass tourism and also top-quality experiences and get most TAT attention. Pattaya is fighting for survival and PR identity. Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui will continue to attract the quality higher yield markets, both Domestic and International. Krabi has great potential for sustainable tourism but needs more of TAT’s support. Also TCEP should encourage and support carbon-reduced MICE events in 2022,” Wolfgang said. 

Arriving at the destination is only part of the journey. TG has announced a reduction in its fleet selling 42 older planes and returning leased aircraft. I asked President Wolfgang Grimm how did he see this impacting tourism to Thailand? “TG has played an important interline role for all international airlines but history proved that their old and new management set-up could not achieve profitability. They need a rich tycoon (hopefully Thai) to take full control and reinvent the Airline for the sake of Thailand,” Skål’s National President said. 

British Visitors to Thailand

Covid has redrawn the British holidaymaker’s travel map, with flights to many destinations still far off normal levels. 

Britain’s skies are still significantly clearer than before the pandemic began, data shows flights out of the country are a third below normal despite the relaxation of travel restrictions. Only a small minority of global destinations are matching levels of British air traffic from before the pandemic. 

Flights to Europe have now seen the strongest recovery of all destinations, with air traffic in routes to Spain, Greece, and Cyprus most resembling pre-pandemic activity.

This normality still alludes to flight paths to Asia where flights are below half normal levels – there are now just 8 flights a week to Bangkok versus 30 a week at this point in 2019. 

The author, Andrew J Wood was born in Yorkshire England, he is a former hotelier, Skalleague, and travel writer.

Andrew has 48 years of hospitality and travel experience. Educated at Batley Grammar School and a hotel graduate of Napier University, Edinburgh. Andrew started his career in London, working with various hotels.

His first posting overseas was with Hilton International, in Paris, and he later arrived in Asia in 1991 in Bangkok with his appointment as Director of Marketing at the Shangri-La Hotel and has remained in Thailand ever since. Andrew has also worked with the Royal Garden Resort Group now Anantara (Vice President) and the Landmark Group of Hotels (Vice President of Sales and Marketing). Latterly he has been the General Manager at the Royal Cliff Group of Hotels in Pattaya and the Chaophya Park Hotel Bangkok & Resorts. 

A past board member and Director of Skål International (SI), a former National President with SI Thailand, and a two-time past President of the Bangkok Club. Andrew is currently President of Skål Asia. In 2019, Andrew was awarded SKÅL’s highest award the distinction of Membre D’Honneur.

He is a regular guest lecturer at various Universities in Asia.