A World

Thai fears over impact of coronavirus on tourism and travel

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It's peak holiday season in Thailand but Zifan Yang's guide business has dried up.He usually makes around £750 a week from Chinese tourists but then the new coronavirus hit China and the government banned tour groups from heading overseas.Facing a sudden drop in clients and losing money from cancelled flights and hotels, the tour company he works for closed.Image:With fewer Chinese tourists in Thailand, there is little work for tour guide ZifanImage:Zifan says some of his colleagues have left Thailand to return to China"Last year at the same time we had 340 tourist guides in one day and everybody would have 60 to 70 people so you can imagine in two weeks how many people you would have," he says.Haemorrhaging cash, some of his fellow guides have packed up and returned to China to help with the crisis there.Almost 11 million Chinese residents travelled to Thailand last year, accounting for around a third of international visitors, more than any other nationality.The Tourism Authority of Thailand has already said two million fewer Chinese visitors are expected in 2020, while the Tourism Ministry is warning of a possible 50 billion baht (£1.2bn) cut in Thai revenue due to reduced travel.Thailand isn't alone, China is the world's second-largest economy and a manufacturing powerhouse, so a sustained slow down in growth would likely have global ramifications.Image:Thailand relies on tourism from countries such as ChinaThis week, stocks around the world have been shaken by coronavirus but Thai experts predict a long-term hit to the tourist industry could be very damaging to the already weakened economy.Dr Tim Leelahaphan, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank Thai, said: "Currently this is the only sector that is the bright spot for the Thai economy."The economy has been already weak since last year, affected by the US-China trade war.

This is the only sector left for the country.

If it's affected by coronavirus it could drag down the economy further in 2020."Nineteen cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Thailand, including the country's first person-to-person transmission in a taxi driver who hadn't visited China.The government is determined to show the country is still safe to visit.Extra protection measures have been rolled out.Thermal scanners screen arriving airline passengers while extra teams clean and disinfect Bangkok's public transport and hand out face masks to commuters.Image:Thermal scanners screen arriving airline passengers in ThailandDirector General of the Department of Railways, Sorapong Paitoonphong, told Sky News: "You don't have to worry in Thailand because I think the government tries to make people feel safe."Travellers, if you come to Thailand we can control the situation."On Friday, ministers backed urgent aid plans to support the tourism sector and efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus have been stepped up.After all, this is an illness which could not only threaten lives, but also the livelihoods many Thais rely on.




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