The collapse of the large European tour operator FTI echoed in the Thai tourism market. The consequences are not as large-scale as, for example, in Turkey, but hoteliers in the resorts of the kingdom also suffered losses.
According to the Bangkok Post, with reference to the Thai Hotel Association (THA), the damage to hotels that did not receive payment from FTI for accommodated tourists amounted to approximately 111 million baht (just over $ 3 million. – Ed.). The amount is relatively small, for comparison: Turkish hotels pre-estimate their losses 10 times higher. Nevertheless, in Thailand, the question is already being raised about “reducing the amount or duration of the loan for tour operators in order to minimize their own risks.”
As he told the portal TourDom.ru The head of the Thai host company Ilves Tour, Viktor Kriventsov, the tour operators with whom DMC and the kingdom’s hotels work without prepayment can be counted on the fingers of one hand. These are only the largest international travel holdings like TUI, which, by the way, has a legal entity registered in Thailand. The British travel giant Thomas Cook, which left the market 5 years ago, was allowed to send tourists “on credit”. “Back in 1996, the number of tour operators who were not required to make an advance payment when booking room quotas for the season did not exceed 4-5. Since then, I am not aware of any new contract signed on similar terms,” says the specialist.
Therefore, if the idea of “reducing the amount or term of the loan” is implemented, nothing will change for the absolute majority of partners of Thai hotels and host companies, including Russian tour operators. The financial terms of cooperation with them are already as strict as possible – making the full amount before the arrival of tourists. The only indulgence that is sometimes allowed for certain long–standing and trusted partners is that the hotel can accommodate guests if the money has been transferred, but has not yet been credited to the hotel account. This sometimes happens when the payee’s bank in Thailand does not work for a day or two due to a public holiday, which in the kingdom are often timed to coincide with various festivals or mass celebrations. But even in this case, the counterparty must provide documents confirming the sent payment.
Earlier we wrote that tourists began to actively book tours to Thailand for the New Year, some hotels already have difficulties confirming rooms of a number of categories for festive dates.
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