In spite of anxiety about the latest Covid-19 outbreak, tourism operators in Thailand are optimistic that their businesses will get back on track this year with the new vaccines to eradicate the virus.
The new outbreak stemming from a seafood market in Samut Sakhon has now spread to 53 provinces across the nation, and infections are likely to rise.
This has made the government shut down several premises and outlets, bringing an economy to a halt again that just showed the first signs of recovery, being battered by the first wave of the pandemic early last year. Tourism, which is Thailand’s major engine for economic growth, has been among the sectors hardest hit by the virus.
As per the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the tourism sector earned 760 billion baht from January to November last year, marking a decline of 1.93 trillion baht or 71.75%, compared to the same period in 2019.
For 2021, however, the world is pinning its hopes on an effective Covid-19 vaccine coming from pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.
Meanwhile, the Thai government has pre-ordered 26 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, enough for 13 million people.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul previously said that he had secured the supply of at least 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine for “between February and April”.
Tags: Thai tourism
