The tourism industry should campaign to bin obsolete laws to ensure future growth, according to the main opposition Pheu Thai Party.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, head of Pheu Thai's inclusion and innovation advisory panel and youngest daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, made the call on Facebook following a brainstorming session on tourism organised by the party on Dec 16.
She said tourism was one of the country's growth engines. However, the industry was quickly brought to its knees when Covid-19 pandemic struck more than two years ago.
Although the pandemic has eased and borders have fully reopened, the tourist sector had yet to regain a clear sense of direction.
Ms Paetongtarn said the tourism industry has not fully recovered, partly because the industry's foundations are not strong enough.
That is why, when crisis hit, the sector suffered such a big setback and is finding it hard to rebound.
The challenge for the next government is to stop tourism suffering such big setbacks again.
Work must be done to expand to grow revenue to beyond the pre-Covid level, she said.
It is important to focus on the segment with highest growth potential, which is medical tourism.
This market attracts high-quality, deep-wallet visitors who are free to spend an extended period of time in the country.
Thailand's medical tourism has reported healthy growth since 2020, which is consistent with global trends on personal health, she said.
Ms Paetongtarn added the country should seek to recruit workers from neighbouring countries to tackle a labour shortage in the tourism industry.
The rehiring of workers, many of whom were made redundant during the pandemic, is not keeping up with the upsurge in demand triggered by the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions.
Laws related to the tourism industry are being enforced by different agencies, creating red tape and unnecessary complications for businesses.
For example, the hotel standard law is under the Interior Ministry while the management of homestay accommodation falls under the Department of Tourism.
Laws that fail to respond adequately to the needs of a changing tourism industry should be amended or scrapped, she said.
The industry should also branch out and reinvent itself to increase its value. The country should do more than market a specific segment and take a more holistic approach.
Instead of sticking to advertising "sun, sand and sea" which is the conventional selling point, the marketing strategy should combine nature with medical health and possibly science-based exploration trips to heighten the overall appeal to tourists, Ms Pintongtarn said.
