Hanoi (VNA) - Thailand welcomed first 1,201foreign tourists in October since a ban in April aimed at averting coronavirusoutbreaks, as the country gradually opens up to a select number of visitors.
The figure was just a fraction of the 3.07 million arrivalsin the same month last year.
According to the Tourism Ministry, the latest visitorsincluded 471 from China, 231 from neighbouring Cambodia, 178 from Middle Eastcountries and 116 from Europe, all travelling on special 90-day visas thatrequire two weeks of quarantine.
In January-October 2020, the number of foreign tourists inThailand dropped 79.5 percent to 6.69 million. No tourists were seen between Apriland September.
But the country has yet to agree any such arrangements andprevious plans were abandoned in August after coronavirus cases in Asiaincreased.
New outbreaks have seen several other travel bubbles betweenAsia-Pacific countries aborted or fail to take off, including between NewZealand and Australia, and Hong Kong and Singapore.
In the third quarter of 2020, the Southeast Asia’ssecond-largest economy contracted 6.4 percent from a year earlier after thesecond quarter’s 12.1 percent slump as most virus restrictions were eased, butan absence of tourists is limiting the recovery.
The country is forecast to receive 6.7 million foreigntourists this year after last year’s revised record 39.9 million visitors whospent 1.91 trillion baht (63 billion USD), or about 11.3 percent of grossdomestic product (GDP).
It predicts only 5 million foreign visitors in 2021./.
The figure was just a fraction of the 3.07 million arrivalsin the same month last year.
According to the Tourism Ministry, the latest visitorsincluded 471 from China, 231 from neighbouring Cambodia, 178 from Middle Eastcountries and 116 from Europe, all travelling on special 90-day visas thatrequire two weeks of quarantine.
In January-October 2020, the number of foreign tourists inThailand dropped 79.5 percent to 6.69 million. No tourists were seen between Apriland September.
But the country has yet to agree any such arrangements andprevious plans were abandoned in August after coronavirus cases in Asiaincreased.
New outbreaks have seen several other travel bubbles betweenAsia-Pacific countries aborted or fail to take off, including between NewZealand and Australia, and Hong Kong and Singapore.
In the third quarter of 2020, the Southeast Asia’ssecond-largest economy contracted 6.4 percent from a year earlier after thesecond quarter’s 12.1 percent slump as most virus restrictions were eased, butan absence of tourists is limiting the recovery.
The country is forecast to receive 6.7 million foreigntourists this year after last year’s revised record 39.9 million visitors whospent 1.91 trillion baht (63 billion USD), or about 11.3 percent of grossdomestic product (GDP).
It predicts only 5 million foreign visitors in 2021./.
VNA
