The Peninsula hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. Picture: REUTERS
About six luxury hotels that opened in Bangkok during the pandemic, or will open soon, from Four Seasons, Kempinski and Capella are likely to benefit from a new visa aimed at attracting long-stay visitors, high-spenders and medical travellers to put the economy back on a growth track. Targeting luxury travellers who stay longer and spend more could staunch some of those losses, said Deepak Ohri, CEO of Lebua Hotels & Resorts. “The pandemic has given Thailand the opportunity to hit reset on how the tourism industry will look after Covid-19,” he said.
“These groups of travellers have the highest potential of increasing money spent on lodging and dining, which can help boost the economy, especially during these difficult pandemic times,” said Yuthasak Supasorn, the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. “We have about 800-1,000 Chinese tourists who are ready to travel here on private jets in the first phase of reopening.”