Tour operators calm about Hong Kong

Travellers check a departure board at Hong Kong's main airport last Sunday, when protesters targeted the facility.

The Hong Kong protests that have continued since June are unlikely to affect tourism between Thailand and the territory, say Thai tour operators.

Hong Kong-to-Thailand routes are short-haul, taking only two hours by air, said Surawat Akaraworamat, secretary-general of the Tourism Council of Thailand.

"Even though the political situation in Hong Kong is intense, inbound tour operators from Hong Kong are still bringing tourists to visit Thailand as usual," Mr Surawat said at yesterday's "Hong Kong: Present and Future" seminar. "Most visitors from Hong Kong tend to travel independently."

He said Thailand is a preferred destination, thanks to lower travel expenses and waivers on entry visas.

Mr Surawat, also vice-president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, played down the unrest but expressed more concern over the election in Taiwan scheduled for next year.

If a political party that is amenable to friendlier relations with China wins the election, more Chinese visitors are expected to travel to Taiwan, which in turn could lower the number of Chinese arrivals in Thailand, he said.

Thailand welcomed 721,523 Hong Kong tourists in the first eight months of 2019, an increase of nearly 4%, generating 27.5 billion baht, up 5.2%, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry.

The 16 weeks of unrest in Hong Kong saw millions of people take to the streets, with many protesters blocking mass transit systems and the airport, causing the number of international arrivals to drop significantly.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board said in July that the number of tourists fell by 4.8% from the same period in 2018 to 5.19 million visitors, of which 4.16 million were from the mainland, down 5.5%.

Total tourist arrivals in the first seven months remained healthy at 40 million, up 11% year-on-year.

The hotel occupancy rate in Hong Kong in the first seven months fell to 89% from an average 91% in 2018, then dropped to 86% in July.

Thai outbound visitors to Hong Kong over the seven months totalled 363,866, up 9.6% year-on-year.

Mr Surawat said Hong Kong received red flag warnings from 31 countries, but not Thailand.

"Some travel companies have offered attractive deals such as three-day Hong Kong tour packages at a cost of only 4,000 baht, thanks to cheaper airfare and hotels, but many Thais are concerned about safety and are putting off their trips," he said.

Bungon Tamasorn, president of the Thai Regional Alliance in Hong Kong, said Thais can travel to Hong Kong as usual because not every area in the territory is affected by protests.

The protesters usually announce schedules ahead of gatherings, allowing tourists to avoid visiting at-risk areas.