PATTAYA:–Tourist attractions that catered only to the Chinese market must adjust marketing plans, cut prices and cooperate with rivals in order to survive the loss of Chinese tour groups, the head of the Chonburi Attractions Association said.
President Thitipat Siranatsrikul said Jan. 31 that Beijing’s banning of overseas tour groups to control the outbreak of the nCoV-2019 coronavirus will devastate Thai tourism attractions that spurned western and Thai tourists to focus on the Chinese market.
Already, some are cutting costs and curtailing operating hours, she said. The Pattaya News notes that some like the floating seafood restaurants in Pattaya Bay have decided to close for thirty days. Many speed boat operators have also laid off staff and closed for at least several weeks.
But if Chinese-focused attractions like Pattaya’s Ban Sukhawadee are to survive the crisis, which will last at least three months, they must change their entire approach to business, Thitipat said.
Thais comprised half of the 18 million people to visit Pattaya last year and Chonburi tourist destinations must put more focus on serving the local market, Thitipat said. To do that, they likely have to cut prices, she added.