Why can't Thailand's tourism risk management keep up?

On July 6, a cruise ship capsized in Phuket, a tourist resort in Thailand. According to information released by People's Daily Online at noon on the 7th, 33 people have been killed in the accident in China, and 23 people are still missing.

This is the most serious tourism safety accident in Thai history. Norah Fatt, governor of Phuket, said that "the casualties were unexpected". As far as things are concerned, it is undoubtedly the shipping companies and travel agencies involved who "ignored the warning" that should be blamed the most. However, we should also see that this is behind the unsatisfactory background of tourism risk management in tourist destinations, and the accident has also formed some evidence for Thailand's tourism risk coefficient.

Speaking of "tourism risk coefficient", in June this year, Endsley Insurance Company of the United Kingdom just listed Thailand as the most dangerous tourist destination in the world. Previously, the travel website SafeAround rated Thailand as a country ranked 9 1 (total score 162) in the "global security ranking", and its four coefficients of "overall risk", "fraud risk", "traffic and taxi risk" and "natural disaster risk" were all high.

This is just a reflection that Thailand's tourism management can't keep up with the severe tourism safety situation. First of all, organized crime in some tourist attractions has not been well controlled, and the security problem in the "Nansifu" and the border areas of Thailand and Myanmar is a "long-standing problem". Even in relatively safe areas, the problem of rising pickpocketing rate in tourist attractions has not been controlled for a long time.

Secondly, some tourism projects with obvious security risks have long been "gray". Previously, China tourists frequently encountered collective sailing in Thailand, and the "cruise ship scare" was no longer news. Many "land agencies" under the banner of "Thailand Travel Agency" are actually China institutions and individuals who have been transformed, and some local enterprises and individuals of unknown origin "scratch the edge".

This is not to say that Thailand does not attach importance to tourism safety management. As early as 1959, Thailand established a special tourism promotion agency and promoted a series of tourism-related legislation, which was once considered "forward-looking" in Southeast Asian countries. However, it is an indisputable fact that its tourism management problems are outstanding, which is also related to its seemingly lax management.

Thailand has the most traffic accidents and the highest accident mortality rate in Southeast Asia. Behind it is the poor implementation of relevant laws and regulations, and the punishment for accidents is understated.

In this accident, although Thailand issued a warning of strong winds and waves two days before the incident, the port did not take effective measures to prevent the cruise ship from leaving the port. Witnesses said that many ships with the lowest safety factor also went to sea in May and June, but they did not encounter obstacles. Of course, operators who venture out of Hong Kong should bear the main responsibility, but it is also hard to blame that they only warn their management agencies not to stop them, knowing that going out to sea is risky.

There is no reason for lax management: first, since the two Asia-Pacific financial crises, Thailand has regarded tourism as an "insurance pool" to hedge international economic risks. In 20 17, the number of foreign tourists reached 35 million, equivalent to half of the total population of Thailand. The rapid expansion of tourism pressure has led to a serious "lag" in management policies, resources, software and hardware, and systemic security risks are superimposed. Based on the concern that "stepping on the brakes" will affect the domestic economy, it is difficult for local governments to achieve qualitative improvement in management. Secondly, Thailand is a region with high incidence of natural disasters, but its ability to cope with disasters is insufficient.

For Thailand, the capsizing accident in Phuket reminds us that the improvement of the tourism safety situation cannot be temporary, partial or limited. As for domestic tourists, it is also appropriate to consider their own safety. It is not unnecessary to have more risk foresight and more hedging ability.

Source: Beijing News