Pattaya tourism leaders want more events to drive visitors

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The panelists included leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry who spoke on how to build momentum in the local tourism industry following the partial reopening of the country.

Pattaya’s tourism leaders agreed more events must be planned to draw visitors back to the city.

The Dec. 1 “Pattaya Moves On After Covid-19” seminar at the Hard Rock Hotel chaired by Wuthisak Rermkitjakarn, Pattaya Deputy Mayor, brought together leaders of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office, Thai Travel Agents Association, Chonburi Tourism Industry Council and Eastern Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter to debate how to build momentum in the local tourism industry following the partial reopening of the country Nov. 1.



The panelists noted that staff of Pattaya’s hotel and tourism companies are now 90 percent vaccinated against Covid-19 and that, before the pandemic, Pattaya generated the third-most tourism revenue of any city, behind Bangkok and Phuket.



But Pattaya’s reopening has lagged other areas, in large part due to the stupefying continued ban on alcohol sales in restaurants, despite the Pattaya area having fewer than 50 new Covid-19 cases a day.


Many foreigners have put off trips to Thailand until all restrictions are lifted, the panelists noted. All the industry can do is host more and more events to drive local tourism, participants said.

Pattaya Deputy Mayor Wuthisak Rermkitjakarn (3rd right) together with top tourism executives in both the public and private sector pledge to put Pattaya back on the world tourism map again.