|
Tourism down 20% in 2014,
high season looking disappointing, PBTA says
Sinchai Wattanasatsatorn
President of Pattaya Business & Tourism Association (PBTA)
Jetsada Homklin
Months of street protests and the subsequent military coup have cost
Pattaya more than 10 billion baht in tourism-related revenue, the Pattaya
Business & Tourism Association said.
Speaking at the PBTA’s Oct. 29 meeting at the Grand Bella Hotel, association
President Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn said the biggest hit has come from the
marked decline in tourists from China and Russia.
In the first nine months of the year, Pattaya has seen only 6 million
visitors, down about two million during the same period last year. Last year
Pattaya attracted nearly 10 million tourists, generating 105 billion baht.
The top five nationalities to visit Pattaya last year were Russian (1.8
million), Chinese (1.2 million), Eastern Europe (400,000), Germany (300,000)
and Indonesian (290,000)
This year, he said, has been the slowest in three years.
Suladda Sarutilavan, Director of Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT) Pattaya office, says her staff is focusing on
building back the European market.
Suladda Sarutilavan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Pattaya
office, said her staff is focusing on building back the European market.
“The Russian and Chinese market has dropped a lot in a short period of time,
which is why we are preparing a marketing plan for 2015 focusing on the
Eastern European tourism market instead,” she said. “Other than Europe, TAT
is also planning to focus on the ASEAN market, especially Indonesia.”
From early bookings, the coming high season also will be disappointing,
Suladda said. Bookings are down 10-70 percent, depending on market.
As a result, many hotels have put on special promotions, especially for
2015, giving discounts and accommodation packages 10-20 percent off. The
promotions are focused on the Chinese market for two-night stays and trips,
hoping that they will be able to pull the Chinese crowd back to Thailand
again next year.
As for Russians, domestic problems at home are keeping many from traveling,
a slowdown expected to last into next year. The ruble has been crushed by
sanctions leveled against Russia for its incursion into Ukraine. Russians,
as a result, don’t have the economic power to travel as they did in recent
years.
The one bright spot has been that Thai domestic tourism has not dropped
significantly. Thai visitors to Pattaya were off only 100,000 to 2.8 million
in the first nine months of this year, TAT said.
Sanpech Supabowornsthian President of Thai Hotel
Association (THA) Eastern Chapter
However, Sanpech Supabowornsthian, president of the Thai Hotels Association
Eastern Chapter, said the Pattaya market, with 139,000 rooms, is now
“over-supplied.” He said the government needs to take steps to limit
additional hotel capacity coming online.
He also urged other measures to spur tourism, such as recent moves to offer
free three-month visas for Chinese tourists. He said the private sector
needs to be encouraged to attend trade shows and more marketing.
|
|
Café de Beach opens new location
Pol. Col. Dhamnoon Munkong
(right), Superintendent of the Banglamung Police Station, presents flowers
to the management team of Café de Beach during the soft opening ceremony.
Urasin Khantaraphan
Café de Beach opened the doors on its new Sukhumvit Soi 2 location that its
owners say offers not only more space, but a better atmosphere.
Owners Tida Nakniyom and Yongchai Chotetamnaree welcomed about 300 long-time
customers of the restaurant’s old Jomtien Beach Road location to the Oct. 22
soft opening, along with government workers and community leaders.
The new location is built on a rai of land with a three-floor industrial
complex and open-air seating area. The opening party featured a band playing
until 1 a.m.
Café de Beach now offers ample space for meetings, parties and other events.
The menu includes 100 different dishes, including a variety of drinks. The
facilities can accommodate up to 400-500 people and the parking area can fit
200 cars.
The building is furnished to European taste, featuring private rooms that
can fit up to 10 people. Opening hours of the restaurant are from 8 a.m. to
1 a.m. daily.
Café de Beach is located on Sukhumvit Soi 2, 100 meters from Jittapawan
Temple’s entrance. For more information call 087-600-5511 or visit its
Facebook page at Facebook.com/cafe.de.beach.
|
|
Mityon opens X-Speed accessories store
(L to R) Burin Chanragkarnkha, managing
director of Mityon Pattaya Limited, along with Nipa Chanragkarnkha, Vice
Admiral Alangkarn Wichaikul and Purin Krissanawanich jointly cut the
ribbon during the grand opening event.
Jetsada Homklin
The largest motorcycle-accessory store on the Eastern Seaboard
came to Pattaya with the opening of X-Speed on Third Road.
Burin Chanragkarnkha, managing director of Mityon Pattaya Co., cut the
ribbon on the 10 million baht outlet Oct. 30 with other Mityon
executives.
Burin said that the new branch of the X-Speed is the first and biggest
bike-accessories center in the region to serve customers with a complete
installation services, and a complete range of bike accessories starting
from the mini bike.
The shop utilizes 300 sq. meters of space for service with comfortable
waiting areas for customers.
The services include bike personalized modification design, sticker
design, sticker installation, made to order body parts, selling a
completing range of bike accessories from both domestic and
international markets, helmets, jackets, gloves, head masks, sleeves,
knee/elbow armor and more.
At the event, food and drinks were served, games were played, rewards
were given, and there was a show from models washing bikes.
|
|
|
