Vegetarian festival expected to boost southern tourism

[News Bandit]

BANGKOK, Oct 13 - The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) said this year's vegetarian festival is more vivacious than previous year, particularly in the southern provinces, with hope that the festival will boost confidence and bring tourists back to the area.

ATTA president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanporn said room occupancy was full in the country's prime venues to hold grand events such as Phuket, Songkhla's Hat Yai district and Trang. Many tourists were coming from Malaysia and Singapore.

Mr Sisdivachr said the atmosphere in Hat Yai was returning to lively during this period after an April bombing in the town centre. The private sector hopes this year's vegetarian festival will be a good sign indicating that confidence for Malaysian tourists was restored.

The bombing at Hat Yai's Lee Gardens Plaza hotel in April killed three persons--including two Malaysians--and wounded over 350 tourists and shoppers.

The ATTA president said the agency expect Malaysian tourists in the southern region to reach at least 2.4 million, the same number as last year.

He said 1.6 million Malaysians have visited the south of Thailand during the first eight months of 2012, a 5.8 per cent decrease year-on-year. The association, however, believed the this year target will be achieved in the last quarter as it is the high season of tourism with attractive destination including Loy Krathong and New Year celebrations.

Meanwhile, Somchart Pimthanapoonporn, the president of the Hat Yai hotel Association, reaffirmed that hotel reservations in Hat Yai during this period have increased considerably due to tourists' confidence on security measures and promoted campaigns of the vegetarian festival, which starts Oct 14 and runs through Oct 23.

Mr Somchart said incoming tourists include Sino-Thai tourists, as well as Malaysian and Singaporean visitors with at least Bt100 million expected to be circulated during the ten-day event.

Ranong Chamber of Commerce president Naruemon Konpoom said more spending has been generated in border trade between Thailand's Ranong and Myanmar's Kawthaung provinces as the vegetarian festival approaches.

She said that Sino-Myanmar visitors crossed the border to buy fresh and dried produce for their vegetarian cuisine. The prices of agricultural produce, however, have been adjusted in according to the market mechanism and will return to normal after the festival ends. (MCOT online news)

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[Patapusr]

Dont forget that Pattaya holds its own vegetarian festival up in Naglua (Naklua). Its nothing spectacular like those down south but i think its worth a visit anyhow for an hour or two.

Great food at market prices and maybe even a show or two if you hang around long enough..

[coodhi]

Pretty shocking to hear about the Bombing in Hat Yai, hope things get back to normal quickly. Vegetarian festivals are great way to get tourism back on track.

 

cheers