The Tourism Ministry recently held its first workshop to gather opinions from government agencies and private companies working in tourism, as well as insurance companies and revolving funds, reported state news agency NNT. (See story here.)
Most of the participants said the measure must be introduced at an appropriate time to minimise disruption of the national tourism scene. They have also requested more details of the plan to use fees collected for attraction renovation and insurance benefits, the report noted.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will be holding another session to gather more opinions, and will collate all suggestions and submit them to Thailand’s Tourism Fund’s board, the National Tourism Policy Committee, and ultimately to the Cabinet for consideration, the report added.
However, feedback from both the travel industry and travellers as seen on popular news sites suggests the proposal will face stiff opposition, noted respected travel journal TTR Weekly in its report.
Travel trade associations are already complaining there are too many fees levied on tourists, the report added. (See story here.)
National parks levy entrance fees that are double or treble what Thai citizens pay. Most attractions have a duel pricing policy based on nationality. They claim the additional revenue from foreigners goes towards upkeep.
Thailand is also facing strong competition from its neighbours, and Vietnam recently rescinded all dual pricing at attractions to improve its competitiveness, the TTR report noted.