Heavy floods in Hat Yai over the weekend caused confusion among hotel guests as transport was blocked, prompting the Thai Hotels Association (THA) to call for efficient communication from the government.
Siwat Suwanwong, vice-president of the Songkhla provincial office at THA, said the delayed notification and unclear information left hotel guests confused as they didn't know whether they could access certain areas or which areas were severely flooded.
He said even locals did not have enough information to inform tourists.
Mr Siwat said the municipal authority should set up a war room to gather news and provide public information quickly, using social media or chat groups utilised by government members and related companies to provide clearer communication.
Many Malaysian tourists who crossed the border to Hat Yai on Friday for a weekend break took part in festive events before being affected by flooding on Sunday.
Some guests had to postpone their check-out for one more day as they could not travel back via the land border as the roads were blocked, particularly those who travelled privately via their own cars. They were worried about possible damage to engines, he said.
There were no reports from hotels about the impact of the flooding as most of them are located in the downtown area, said Mr Siwat.
He said Malaysian tourists account for almost 60% of tourists in Songkhla at the moment, while the remainder were domestic tourists, mostly from the deep South provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.
Floods also prevented domestic tourists from entering the city, which resulted in a number of cancellations.
Mr Siwat said normally there is surveillance of floods during November to December every year, but flooding during the past weekend occurred faster than expected and announcements were not issued quickly enough.
He said the average occupancy rate in November and December exceeded 70%, which the group considers quite good, while the average room rate was at nearly 90% of the pre-pandemic level in 2019.
However, some hotels had to offer competitive prices, particularly those focused on large tour groups that prefer to make forward bookings at lower rates. This group is at 70% of rate charged in 2019.
Mr Siwat said even though Songkhla has been hit by floods and a railway explosion two weeks ago, the tourism industry remains confident about the festive period as authorities and businesses plan to be more alert about safety and security.
