Tourism sentiment in the doldrums

Tourists relax by the beach on Koh Tao in Surat Thani. The Tourism Council of Thailand recently called for greater relaxation of the country's entry rules to support the tourism industry. (Photo: Supapong Chaolan)

The tourism index in the first quarter remains depressed, while the risk of more unemployment still clouds the outlook for the next quarter, mainly attributed to the Omicron variant and the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT).

"Tourism operators are still struggling to maintain business as the number of tourists has yet to fully rebound due to the current travel rules. This obstacle needs to be removed before more operators collapse," said Chamnan Srisawat, president of the TCT.