BANKOK —
Thailand will introduce a $9 entry fee for
foreign visitors from April, officials said Wednesday, even as the kingdom
seeks to lure travelers back and repair its COVID-battered tourism sector.
اضافة اعلان
Strict entry rules imposed to curb the pandemic hammered
Thailand's crucial tourism industry last year, contributing to the economy's
worst performance in more than 20 years.
The new 300 baht ($9) charge will be incorporated into
airfares, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said in a statement.
Before the pandemic, nearly 40 million visitors a year
flocked to Thailand, but the kingdom is hoping to revamp its tourism strategy
with a greater focus on sustainability.
"Revenues will be used for foreign tourists' insurance
coverage and infrastructure improvement for sustainable tourism," Tourism
Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told AFP.
Tourism revenues are forecast at $39 billion to $54 billion
this year, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports — around $24 billion
dollars of which is expected from foreign travelers.
An estimated five million foreign tourists are expected to
enter the kingdom in 2022 if current travel patterns remain the same, according
to the ministry's forecast — down from nearly 40 million a year before the
pandemic.
But the tally could rise to 15 million visitors if arrivals
from
China,
India, and neighboring countries improve.
Thailand eased its entry rules towards the end of 2021 as it
sought to reboot tourism, but changed the regulations again as cases of the
Omicron variant surged worldwide.
Authorities have extended the suspension of a no-quarantine
"test and go" scheme until further notice.
But they have also extended the "Sandbox" scheme,
adding three southern beach destinations to the island of Phuket.
Under the program, fully vaccinated travelers spend seven
nights in the sandbox area then can move elsewhere in Thailand — assuming they
test negative for
COVID.
A mandatory quarantine period of 10 to 14 days is applied
for those who are not fully jabbed.
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