Political parties are campaigning to establish sustainable financial and employment support for tourism operators as they hope to avoid a repeat of the collapse during the pandemic.
Speaking at a joint conference of the Thai Hotels Association and the Association of Thai Travel Agents on Tuesday, representatives from seven political parties were invited to present their tourism policies to hotels and tour operators, with a general election slated for the second quarter.
Jakkaphon Tangsutthitham, representative from the Pheu Thai Party and a member of parliament, said the party will propose setting up a tourism bank to provide more flexible conditions for loans and an interest waiver scheme for those in the sector.
Sampan Panpat, deputy leader of the Chartthaipattana Party, said a special fund during crises should be set up to offer financial aid to tourism operators dealing with unexpected events, such as the pandemic.
He said one source of funding might come from tax collection as tourism revenue before the pandemic was enormous at around 3 trillion baht. If the government can allocate a part of those taxes to establish a tourism fund, it could create a sustainable measure to maintain this key industry amid any circumstances, said Mr Sampan.
In addition to financial support, the government should help reduce the burden of tourism-related operators by providing subsidies for operating costs and a grace period for debt repayment, he said.
Sorathep Rojpotjanaruch, vice-spokesman of the Thai Sang Thai Party, proposed erasing the National Credit Bureau's blacklist of tourism operators for those affected by the pandemic in order to help them restart.
Moreover, unlicensed small hotels should be assisted in registering according to the Hotel Act to upgrade safety and security standards, he said.
As the industry faces a labour shortage, Mr Sampan said regulations should enable foreigners to fill positions in which Thais cannot be recruited, particularly for minimum wage work, with the wage decreased to hire more foreign workers.
Mr Sorathep said the government should set up vocational schools to produce well-trained workers with skills in hospitality, tour guides and foreign languages, as shortages in these fields are critical at the moment.
Woraphop Viriyaroj, assistant deputy leader of the Move Forward Party, said educational courses should be adjusted to fit private operators' demand.
The next government should also support tuition-free programmes for vocational schools and help provide jobs for graduates, he said.
Mr Woraphop said the party aims to distribute budgets to local communities, enabling them to develop their own tourism resources.
