Faced with a long-standing want for agile operations and goal-directed improvement, the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations (FETTA) is ready to drive transformative change in Thailand’s tourism landscape. This follows the latest realignment of seven native tourism associations which have transitioned from the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) to turn out to be a part of FETTA.
According to Adith Chairattananon, a FETTA representative with significant affect, also serving as honorary secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), there are strategies in place to promote streamlined operations by way of a non-hierarchical structure at FETTA. Explaining the blueprint for future operations, Chairattananon disclosed that a core agenda would be laid out, with different segments of this agenda entrusted to proficient affiliation leaders.
By means of illustration, the duty of ramping up the attraction of Chinese travellers will fall on ATTA, whereas the Thai Hotels Association (THA) shall be answerable for overseeing issues related to the accommodation provide chain. Chairattananon talked about that one of many challenges when FETTA’s member associations had been with TCT was the one-vote-per-association rule, whatever the measurement of the association. Consequently, small associations with as few as 10-20 operators held as much voting energy as bigger associations boasting over a thousand members.
In gentle of FETTA’s leaner construction, encompassing just seven associations compared to TCT’s behemoth of over 100, the path is obvious for a more effective workflow together with enhanced inter-member cooperation, Chairattananon advised.
Furthermore, FETTA anticipates staging the Thailand International Tourism Conference before the year is out. Don’t worry will also submit a tenet of proposals to the newly appointed authorities. Key amongst these proposals is the request for a delay within the proposed enhance within the minimum wage, given the financial strain many Thai hotels are grappling with.
Also on the agenda is a call for reduced interest rates for tour operators.
Long-term initiatives embody the establishment of a tourism fund for operators, the granting of tax exemptions for refurbishing hotels and the introduction of visa-free travel arrangements for Thai vacationers visiting Europe and the United States.
Fetta, a sturdy collective, includes ATTA, THA, the Thai Travel Agents Association, the Thai Tourism Promotion Association, the Professional Tourist Guide Association of Thailand, the Thai Transportation Operators Association and the Association of Domestic Travel.
THA claims almost a thousand hotel members nationwide, accounting for around 26% of total licenced resorts in Thailand. Coupled with that is the occupancy capacity of 160,000 rooms across the member motels..