Hi All,
According to the Feb 1 edition of the Bangkok Post, there is a Meeting of Representatives from 40 Nations in Phuket to help rekindle tourism in the region. Arranged in the name of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), they hope to revive the tourism business by April of 2005 in those countries affected by the Tsunami.
They plan on coordinating global marketing campaigns to help promote confidence in travelers, and will as lo provide special assistance to many smaller businesses that are tourism-related.
Known as the Phuket Action Plan," more than US$3.9 million has been pledged toward the campaign, with countries such as France, Australia, and south Korea kicking in large amounts to get the ball rolling.
tourism organizations would work with the United Nations to help coordinate their actions in four areas, namely, marketing communications, community relief, education and training and sustainable development.
Most delegates agreed that tourism would eventually return to normal, and that the best way other countries could assist the region was to encourage their nationals to visit affected countries to help prevent an economic collapse.
This comes in light of claims by Thai officials that up to 200,000 jobs in the tourism sector are at risk. If everything goes according to plans, smaller businesses would get the lion's share of the economic aid.
And also on the local Thai scene, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said that it would help conduct vocation and job skills classes for more than 10,000 unemployed staff, who would receive per diem payments while they train.
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