In Thailand, local travel agencies and industry organizations have prepared a new Safe and Sealed plan to restore inbound tourism by the second half of autumn this year.
The new program is expected to replace "tourist bubbles" with a health assessment scheme, as well as more simplified criteria for screening foreigners before admission.
Since August 1, some tourists have been allowed into the country, but experts believe that with such strict rules, the number of travelers will not exceed one hundred thousand people. This means that the industry will receive almost five times less profit than last year. But the Association of Tourists is confident that the new plan will attract five times more than experts suggest.
On average, one tourist will spend more than $3,000 on vacation, and before the pandemic, the amount of travelers spending was half that. However, the plan has its downside. Only those travelers who arrived from cities where no cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded over the past month can enter the country.
In addition, all arriving tourists will be able to travel only on a tour from operators and with accommodation only in specified hotels. Three days before the trip, the tourist must pass a test for coronavirus and take out medical insurance. The test will need to be taken again upon arrival in the country. Otherwise, the tourism business is in serious trouble.
