| |
PHUKET, Thailand : Phuket hoteliers are reporting just a handful of cancellations following Sunday's budget airline crash, which claimed 89 lives.
In fact, industry leaders are confidently predicting a record number of tourist arrivals to Thailand this year.
Lush golf courses and sunny sandy beaches.
Phuket's budget airline crash may have been Thailand's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
But the resort is still proving attractive to holidaymakers.
Although in the short-term, experts expect visitors to feel nervous when flying in.
The people of Phuket have already endured the worst case scenario of the 2004 tsunami and the crash of One Two Go Flight 269 comes as a blow, with so many foreign tourists killed just as the high season was beginning.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says 120 Singaporeans have so far cancelled their trips to Phuket, while 50 South Korean couples planning their honeymoons have pushed back their arrival dates.
However, Thais working in this sector are hopeful the air crash won't affect their livelihoods too much.
A Thai owner of a motorbike rental shop, said: "I don't think it will affect tourism, because it was an accident and no one expected it to happen. I think tourists will realise this."
One Thai souvenir and jewellery vendor said: "The plane crash won't affect tourism here. Plane crashes happen all over the world, right?"
A Thai hotel manager said: "Actually if you look at the incident, it's clear that it was an accident, not a terrorist attack or anything, but completely accidental."
Despite the crash and last year's military coup, industry officials predict a record year for tourism, which generates six percent of the kingdom's GDP.
One international travel magazine places Thailand third behind Italy and India on a list of hot international tourist destinations. - CNA/de
|
Twitter
Live
Google
del.icio.us
Digg
