Thailand's hotel operators are calling on the government to take action on smog before it seriously hampered tourism.
They are calling on the government to work with the entire supply chain to solve the problem and are also complaining about the high cost of clean air for their customers.
See: Thailand: Air quality dangerous to health in 60 provinces
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, executive vice president of the Sukosol hotel chain, said hotels have not yet reported any cancellations or delays attributed to air pollution during the peak season or the Chinese New Year festival this week.
She added that hotels regularly maintain and clean air conditioners and air purifiers to ensure safety standards for guests.
“Reform is needed across the entire tourism supply chain to create environmentally friendly services to reduce pollution,” Ms. Marisa said.
The government could encourage the private sector to join the program by subsidizing tour operators that opt for electric vehicles or encouraging them to use low-carbon transport.
Ms. Marisa said the government should enact the Clean Air Act as soon as possible, while ensuring strict enforcement of the law to address the smog problem at all levels.
Naree Suneta, president of the Hostel Association of Thailand and owner of Suneta Khaosan Hostel, said:
Bangkok hotels have not yet been affected by dangerous levels of PM2.5 dust, but some operators may temporarily close their outdoor areas for activities."
Tourists and locals on Khao San Road in Bangkok. Photo: Suneta Hostel Khaosan
Ms. Naree added that not all hostels could afford to invest in better air purification systems because their revenues were still low, given the slower recovery than larger hotels in recent years.
She explained that the association was asking its members to cooperate to ensure healthy measures for customers.
“In the long term, the government must approach the problem comprehensively by dealing with all stakeholders in the economy.
If the situation persists, tourists will choose other destinations and avoid Thailand.
While Chinese arrivals may be reduced during the Lunar New Year festival due to fears of scams and human trafficking, hotels are attracting other markets from Asia and Europe,” Ms. Naree said.
In fact, according to the latest figures, many Chinese travelers came to the kingdom to celebrate the New Year of the Snake.
See: Thailand: Record influx of Chinese tourists despite kidnapping cases
According to Naree, accommodations are expected to average 80-90% occupancy in January.
In the short term, safety in small hotels and hostels is a bigger concern than smog, following a fire at a Khao San hotel during the New Year holidays, Ms. Naree said.
The association works with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to monitor the safety standards of hostels and small hotels in major tourist areas.
See also:
Thailand: 3 foreign tourists killed in Bangkok hotel fire
Thailand: Fight in a Phuket hotel, the prostitute was a man
Thailand: Hoteliers denounce illicit foreign entities
Thailand's tourism boom boosts hotel investment
Source: Bangkok Post
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1 comment
Ms. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, it is to your credit that you are contributing to the purification of the ambient air in your hotel chain and alerting the authorities, as well as encouraging other hotel sites in Bangkok to follow your example...
But this does nothing to solve the problem of urban pollution in the Thai capital, nor its nuisance to tourists.
Indeed, your customers stay in your hotels during the night, during their sleeping hours, they are not going to shut themselves in their room 24 hours a day to breathe fresh and healthy air!
After breakfast, they go out into the city until the evening and are therefore exposed to air that is extremely polluting for their health!!!
Solving the problem is the responsibility of the authorities, who must combat the multiple causes of this pollution, their origins, their perpetrators, etc.
A vast task that requires considerable human and financial resources, well beyond the financial possibilities of the municipality and even the government.
I therefore fear, unfortunately, that your cry for help will receive little "therapeutic" response in this area due to a lack of technological, human and financial resources!