The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Trat Office recently kicked off the tourist season across Koh Chang, Koh Kut, and Koh Mak, targeting a strong rebound amid Thai-Cambodian border tensions.
Acting Sub Lt Korakot Opas, director of the TAT Trat Office, said on Wednesday the prime season announcements came after the province’s tourism dropped as a result of the border tensions.
The clashes on the border led to a travel ban in Trat and the other provinces at the border, and the declaration of martial law in the province over a span of 4-5 months.
Both affected tourists’ enthusiasm for visiting Trat and its famous islands, especially visitors from the European market, who cancelled their trips to Koh Chang, resulting in the province losing at least 700 million baht in revenue.
The TAT Trat Office is working with the Provincial Tourism Council, the Trat Wellness Association, the Provincial Chamber of Commerce, and tourism business alliance networks to perk things up.
“TAT expects a total of 700,000 tourists will have visited Trat from last October to the end of this year, generating well over six billion baht of circulating income,” Mr Korakot said.
Meanwhile, the TAT said it would promote the “Kaew Deaw Thieaw Trat (Travel Trat in One Reusable Glass)” campaign to promote waste reduction in some tourist destinations.
The campaign, set to expand into various editions in Koh Chang, Koh Kut, and Koh Mak, encourages visitors to use reusable glasses and straws to receive special promotions from registered places.
Mr Korakot said the campaign would reduce waste on the islands while promoting quality visitors.
Koh Mak, he said, will be promoted as a low-carbon destination by offering a discount on electric golf cart rentals, allowing visitors to pay only 800 baht for one day’s use of the cars.
Koh Kut also will be promoted as a nature and wellness destination, while Koh Chang will be promoted with sport tourism with its Bikini Run on Nov 22.