Koh Samui ist mittlerweile ein bekanntes Reiseziel mit ueber einer Million Besuchern im Jahr und fuer Thailand ein gewaltiger Wirtschaftsfaktor. Untenstehender Artikel des Samui Community Magazins gibt Auskunft wie das Land und die Inselregion die Zukunft Koh Samuis als Ferienziel sichern wollen.

Samui Community Magazine Editorial - Widening Horizons

This year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has embarked on an extensive international campaign to ‘present the products of Thailand in a new perspective’. The general idea is to promote a variety of ‘unseen treasures’ that have yet to be experienced by many people from around the world. These attractions are based on research into today’s tourist preferences, and include such features as: natural resources, arts and culture, architectural and historical attractions, and special interests such as golf, spa, diving, weddings and adventure travel, as well as all kinds of accommodation and services.

Despite its growing fame and popularity with tourists, Koh Samui still has a large part to play in the provision of such ‘hidden riches’, and there is a long way to go before the island can call itself developed in terms of the diversity, and quality of services that are already provided elsewhere in the country, not to mention the region. TAT wants to help destinations like Samui penetrate high quality tourist markets, and also to develop activities and niche services that will generate a larger income from tourism. A joint marketing campaign, with major tour companies and airlines, is already underway, and this will utilize the world media, as well as promoting ‘world events’ in Thailand by presenting traditional fairs, festivals and activities as international tourism products.

Incentives are also being offered to increase domestic tours, with special activities and lucky draw programmes to stimulate traveling, and reduced prices for Thai people as motivation. This campaign represents a lot more than simply cashing in on the tourist dollar. It is a carefully planned, long term, and far reaching strategy to keep Thailand, and especially places like Samui, on top of the Asian tourism tables. It is also recognition of the fact that since SARS, terror, and more recently chicken flu began hitting the world’s front pages and television screens, destinations like Samui can no longer afford to simply sit back and wait for more tourists to fill our rooms and beaches. The island must not only continue to attract new visitors, and compete for their attention with other islands and countries, but also make sure that the people who do come here want to come back again.

The island cannot move to the next economic level without a long term commitment to quality, and this must include projects like: developing and restoring degraded tourist attractions, improving infrastructure and transport facilities, increasing the level of services, training a local workforce specifically for the tourism industry, streamlining immigration, maintaining the safety of tourists’ lives and property, and upgrading and diversifying activities by creating an effective system of tourism management. In order for the international campaign to have the desired affect, the Tourism Authority needs cooperation and participation from all those involved in the business of tourism, which on Samui, means virtually everyone.

If people see crystal blue waters, clean beaches and friendly smiling local people on television, they expect the same when they arrive on Samui, and a responsible approach to development will ensure that the reality of this island matches the image painted abroad. The government, citizens and business owners are the only means by which these aims can be achieved. The only question that remains is whether we are able, as a community, to rise to the challenge.