United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Thailand sets minimum fees for Chinese group tours
Monday, 07 Oct, 2016
0
Thailand has taken the first steps to eradicate notorious ‘zero dollar’ package tours by levying a minimum per person overhead charge of THB1,000 per day for Chinese tour groups.
Deputy Prime Minister Thanasak Patimaprakorn announced the levy as part of the Tourism Business and Tour Guide Act effectively making it illegal for package tour operators to market tours below cost price.
It is intended to stop cheap tours where unwitting tourists are forced to spend heavily in designated shops, which have often led to verbal and physical threats by tour guides to buy goods at inflated prices.
The tour companies then received big commissions from the stores to recoup their costs.
The new rule will also be presented to outbound Chinese tour operators next month in Shanghai.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects about 220,000 Chinese tourists during the Octover1-9 ‘Golden Week’ holiday period, which would represent a 30% increase on last year.
The crackdown on cheap, low quality tours has had some affect on tourism arrivals from China.
"If we did nothing, the number of Chinese tourists this year would have easily gone up to 10 million but you have to understand that with these zero dollar tours some payments are made under the table and we cannot collect taxes," Pongpanu Svetarundra, permanent secretary of the ministry of tourism and sports, told the Nikkei Asian Review.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel