Thai AirAsia seeks solid recovery plan

Thailand should draw up a long-term recovery plan for tourism as part of the national agenda instead of waiting for organic growth as the travel market remains stagnant, with lower demand than in previous years, according to the executive chairman of Thai AirAsia. "International air traffic has gradually improved, but people obviously do not have the same travel habits. For instance, Singaporeans who visited Thailand on a weekly basis prior to the pandemic might travel just once every two or three months even as travel restrictions between the two countries were eased," said Tassapon Bijleveld of Thai AirAsia. He said airfares for international flights are more expensive this year due to limited seat capacity and higher fuel costs. Even though AirAsia X, a long-haul carrier in its network, has started selling popular routes to Japan and South Korea, the response has been quite lukewarm. Travellers who refrained from taking trips abroad in the past two years may look for outbound destinations, but those who don't have deep pockets will likely make just one or two trips to save money. Tassapon said instead of introducing an untimely policy like the 300-baht levy on international arrivals, the government should prioritise a long-term recovery plan for the tourism industry, setting a clear target and seeking practical projects to achieve that goal.<br/>