In response to a request from the airline “AeroSvit – Ukrainian Airlines”, among the territories not affected by the destructive impact of the disaster, TATO names, in particular, Pattaya, Samui and Hua Hin, located on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand (Thailand). “In these regions, the tourism industry continues to operate normally,” reports the Pacific Regional Association of Tourist Organizations.
TATO provided a list of regions affected by the disaster. Among them are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chennai and Andhra Pradesh (India), the northern part of Sumatra Island (Indonesia), the northwestern part of Malaysia, the Thai coast of the Andaman Sea, certain zones of the coast of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and the southern archipelago of Myanmar.
At the same time, the Association reminds that in many countries of the region, receiving foreign tourists is a serious source of both budget revenue and income for local citizens, and artificial restriction of tourism could deal an irreparable blow to the economies of these states that have suffered the destructive impact of the disaster.
As is known, the airline “AeroSvit – Ukrainian Airlines” operates regular routes to a number of countries in the Far East, Southeast and Central Asia (in particular, air routes Kyiv – Beijing, Kyiv – Bangkok and Kyiv – Delhi). The Ukrainian airline operates flights to the capital of Thailand three times a week.
Among AeroSvit's passengers on this route, tourists going to Samui and Pattaya predominate – world-famous Thai resorts on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand (Pacific Ocean). After the earthquake of December 26, 2004, which caused destruction on the coast of the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean), the passenger flow on the Ukrainian airline's flights decreased by 10%.
On the eve of the New Year, on December 30, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also published recommendations regarding visits to Southeast Asian countries. They note that the MFA does not have any warnings regarding trips of Ukrainian citizens to the Thai capital Bangkok, as well as to the resorts of Pattaya and Samui. At the same time, the Ukrainian foreign policy department recommended refraining from visiting regions affected by the earthquake and tsunami, in particular, the southern part of Thailand (Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga).
According to the Tourism Administration of Thailand, in previous years tourism accounted for 6-8% of the country's GDP, and together with related services – 20-23%. According to estimates by the National Office of Social Research and Economic Development of Thailand, due to the destruction on the coast of the Andaman Sea, the country may lose a tenth of its foreign tourists in 2005, which would be a significant loss for its economy weakened by the disaster.
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