Thai crisis gives Malaysia a chance to boost tourist arrivals
PETALING JAYA: The on-going civil unrest in Thailand presents an excellent opportunity to market Malaysia as an equally, if not more attractive, tourist destination than the republic – minus the political instability and safety issues.
It may sound rather opportunistic or even merciless to capitalise on the Thai crisis but it is perhaps Malaysia’s best shot to attract more tourists from the republic and elsewhere in recent years.
The current tourist arrivals to Malaysia was reported to be about 20 million. But if we want to capture more foreign tourists, especially those currently staying in Thailand, then we need to be more creative.
So what are the options and strategies to achieve this goal? StarBiz talks to some of the players in the tourism industry for their views.
Malaysian Association of Hotels senior vice-president Ivo R. Nekvapil said the crisis in Thailand had never been worst.
“This time around, there was much bloodshed, shooting and many lives were lost. Foreigners from all over the world currently staying in Thailand feel very uneasy,” he said.
The Best Western brand is the perfect match for the resort, as the market to Phangan seeks comfortable and affordable, value-for-money resorts. Best Western and more »
The GuardianThe Editorial ("Thailand's best way forward") in The on April 30, 2010 could mislead your readers in many ways, and the Embassy would MediaWATCH: Army Readies Armor for Red Actionall 3,077 news articles »
