The B22.4bn stimulus campaign called We Travel Together started on July 18. But as of Sept 5 only 851,321 registrants had booked hotel rooms via this privilege, with total transactions worth B2.5bn, reports the Bangkok Post.
Spending using B600 and B900 e-vouchers attached automatically upon check-in during weekdays and weekends, respectively, helped distribute B388 million to local operators.
The airline subsidies are reported to have the lowest redemption rate, with transactions totalling B23.6mn from 8,703 ticket purchases. Users cannot directly book tickets with discounted prices; they instead receive a 40% subsidy after the trip is completed.
“In its first 50 days, we saw clear signs of limited purchasing power, which prompted us to rethink the new mechanism to induce more registrants to book hotels and air tickets, and boost spending,” said TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn.
The scheme saw an average of 17,026 transactions a day. But those booking flocked to 4,014 hotels out of 7,130 in the scheme. The most popular destinations were Chon Buri, Phuket, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
The TAT will extend the deadline of the project to December to widen the booking window for local tourists. It plans to adjust redemption procedures to correct pain points, particularly for airline bookings.
At a meeting with airlines in Thailand this week, the TAT was asked to consider a less complicated method for air ticket purchases by providing an instant 40% discount upon booking, the same as for hotel booking.