Effects of tourism ‘must be measured’
Thailand should measure the environmental effects of boosting tourism, says president of the Public Policy Studies Institute Foundation, Mingsarn Kaosa-ard.
Ms Mingsarn said the rapid influx of Chinese tourists into the country could spell higher levels of waste accumulation in tourist service areas such as hotels.
“Five-star hotels in the country are bound to create more waste than normal hotels do, since they will have to replace and clean more items such as bedsheets and pillows,” Mrs Mingsarn yesterday told a seminar on the environment organised by the Thai Society of Environmental Journalists. “The waste that take the form of boxes and bottles which will also create substantial environmental problems in the future.”
She said one big reason for Thailand’s success in the tourism industry can be credited to Chinese tourists since they often arrive in large tour groups.
An estimated 8.7 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand last year, generating 445 billion baht in revenue, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
The TAT expects the number of Chinese tourists arriving in Thailand to increase by 9.1% this year, resulting in 500 billion baht in revenue for the tourism industry.
InterContinental Hotels Group predicted income from Chinese tourists in Thailand will reach 829.50 billion baht in 2023.
Ms Mingsarn also urged the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion to consider monitoring the expected increase of waste from the tourism industry.
“Thailand has long been a leader in tourism, but it is trailing behind in terms of environmental conservation,” Ms Mingsarn said.
“If we want to maintain our position, we must find a sustainable solution for the resulting effects on the environment as well.”
Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu, a research fellow at the Thailand Development Research Institute, said the government’s initiative to promote Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) must also be implemented while observing its environmental effects.
She said promoting environmental conservation would encourage foreign investors to express much more interest in the EEC.
“While EEC policies are beneficial on a large scale, we must remember to learn from our past mistakes concerning the Eastern seaboard of Thailand,” she said.
“An important point to consider when implementing large state-initiated projects is involving local opinions, to consider possible environmental repercussions that could affect them.”