Thailand might reopening for tourism in July, 2021. The country’s tourism industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many fear that the long-term impact to hotels, attractions and other tourism-related areas will worsen considerably if the country does not fully reopen its borders soon.
As a result, industry leaders have created a related petition that will be sent to the country’s prime minister and minister of tourism and sports and to the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s governor.
It stresses that a July 1 reopening would provide a number of valuable benefits. These include this date being enough time to vaccinate prospective visitors and those working in the Thai tourism industry and for those tourists to plan for their upcoming trips to Thailand. This date is also viewed as soon enough to limit the tourism industry’s economic damage and speed up the timeline for its full recovery.
An exact date, according to the petition, also allows tourism-related organizations to market it and plan for it. It is easier for prospective visitors to remember an exact date versus an ambiguous one as well.
This campaign, which has been named #OpenThailandSafely, has been led by companies such as Asian Trails, Capella Hotels and Resorts, Minor Group and YAANA Ventures.
The petition’s goal is 100,000 signatures. It surpassed 6,000 on Wednesday, the day after its launch. A related formal request will also be sent to the Thai government.
Another selling point that organizers are pushing is that setting July 1 as the country’s reopening date would allow it to be a trendsetter in that regard in relation to other Asian countries.
The petition also stresses that tourism industry leaders understand that post-July 1 travelers may need to provide evidence of having been vaccinated and/or having had a COVID-19 test over the 72 hours prior to departure and it being negative. Health insurance that covers COVID-19-related expenses may be necessary as well.
Some regions in Thailand have also started their own push towards reopening. One is Phuket. It recently revealed plans to vaccinate 70% of its population and reopen to tourists without them needing to quarantine by Oct. 1. What makes this plan unique is that Phuket is planning to obtain those vaccines itself, not through the Thai government.
This push is the result of local leaders stating that their community will not be able to survive financially unless visitors can travel there without needing to quarantine. Of utmost importance, they added, is ensuring that the upcoming winter season receives significant visitor numbers.
Meanwhile, many of those looking to visit Thailand today must obtain a Special Tourist Visa while some others may simply use their passports. Those in both groups should obtain the Certificate of Entry and register with the ThailandPlus app.
