HIT by heavy rain, floods and landslides the tourist island Koh Chang is now focusing on reviving tourism at yearend by launching sports and entertainment activities as a draw-card, Naewna newspaper said today (Sept. 13).
Mr. Saksit Mungkarn, an executive of Siam Royal View Hotel, Koh Chang and chairman of the Tourism Council of Trat province, admitted that the island’s image is currently not very good after photos of a landslide causing a road to collapse circulated last week with this deterring tourists from coming over.
However, cancellations by tourists do not greatly affect tourism operators because this is the low season.
Tourists are not just concerned about flooding on the island but also in Rayong, Chanthaburi and Bangkok itself as this makes it difficult to travel to the island.
Despite this some foreign tourists are still holidaying here with entrepreneurs too taking advantage of low prices to hold seminars.
The short-term strategy is to clear a lot of rubbish and pieces of wood washed down from the mountains with the situation almost back to normal today, he added.
Meanwhile Mr. Sarapol Prasart, president of Trat Hotels and Resorts Association and owner of Klong Prao Resort, Koh Chang said that news of the flooding on Koh Chang had impacted tourism with 20-25% of holidaymakers cancelling their trip
In fact flooding and landslides on this island are quite brief when compared to other provinces as the floodwater quickly drains to the sea, he pointed out, adding that the association had publicised that the crisis had ended and people could again holiday here.
This association together with Trat Tourism Business Association. and the Tourism Council of Trat are now working together to improve Trat province’s image and rebuild confidence among tourists.
It is expected that at 2022’s yearend tourist arrivals will be 40-50% compared to previous years but to lure more to come over a strategy to launch sports and entertainment activities is being worked out, he said.
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While flooding has affected tourism on Koh Chang, some foreign tourists are still making the trip there. Photos: Naewna
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