With opposition to overtourism arising in many countries, Thai tourism operators are urging the government to seriously consider the nation's carrying capacity, while some have suggested collecting a 300-baht tourism tax in a bid to solve the problem.
As Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to make 2025 a landmark year for tourism, Adith Chairattananon, secretary-general of the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations (Fetta), said a white paper that the federation will present to the government will include solutions to prevent overtourism, which was seen in Thailand before the pandemic.
Similar efforts were observed in other countries last week as Amsterdam's local government announced it was banning the construction of new hotels, while residents of Spain's Canary Islands called for limiting tourism arrivals as they have been hit by rising housing costs.
"With a projection of 40 million tourists, major destinations like Phuket, Samui and Pattaya are on the verge of facing overtourism," said Mr Adith.
He said that during the high season, Phuket had already witnessed traffic congestion and water shortages, while its international airport ran out of available slots for airlines.
Mr Adith said one of the key strategies is to attract tourists from major hubs to the country's secondary cities that offer plenty of potential attractions and space to accommodate a significant flow of tourists.
There should be incentives for airlines who are keen to operate direct flights to provincial airports such as U-tapao, and those serving Khon Kaen and Krabi. This would alleviate congestion among gateways such as Phuket Airport or Suvarnabhumi Airport, and would also help create regional business opportunities.
The related authorities should accelerate connectivity between airports to inner cities too. For instance, the lack of public bus access from U-tapao Airport to Pattaya City discourages new airlines from operating flights as the current situation is not convenient for passengers.
Surawat Akaraworamat, vice-president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said the government should reconsider collecting the 300-baht tourism fee to help fund tourism development as the plan and all related preparations have now been finalised.
He said the essential funds would benefit infrastructure development in second-tier provinces to attract tourists away from congested locations, and improve attractions that have deteriorated due to overtourism.
Mr Surawat said the 300-baht fee would help tourism authorities receive a larger budget. Every year the Tourism Department, which is responsible for the development of supply, receives a budget of only 700 million baht, which is insufficient to sustain necessary projects.
He said a tax of only 300 baht would not discourage foreign tourists from visiting Thailand as some parties have raised as a concern, since the fee is inexpensive compared to some nations such as Bhutan which collects a tourist tax of over US$100 per night.
Many countries today are collecting taxes from tourists, either through flight tickets or hotel stays. Thailand should start a trial phase of tourism tax collection through a mobile application or kiosks, he said.
