As head of international sales for the 88-storey Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest building in Thailand, Cris Micut might be forgiven for worrying about losing guests after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.
But like other tourism operators in Thailand, he's putting on a brave face: "It's not having a catastrophic impact. Everybody is influenced, but not much if you aren't focused on customers from North America." Some 80% of his clientele are from Asia, especially Japan. A few have cancelled rooms, but none asked to be moved to the group's other properties. "They say such a thing would never happen in Thailand," Micut says.
Japanese pick the Sky Hotel precisely for safety - they think it's a treat to stay in a high-rise hotel without fearing the earthquakes that rock Japan. "We serve breakfast on the 78th floor - they get the sunrise before their tours, and its very spectacular."
Despite the September 11 attacks, tourism may yet prove to be one of the brightest of Thailand's sunrise industries. The country's travel business should prove resilient thanks in part to entrepreneurialism and growing reliance on travel from within Asia, which has been less affected by the current crisis.
As a relatively new and growing Thai industry, it's packed with lots of small and medium-sized players, which are less vulnerable to the downturn than big operators.
Large hotels and giant agencies can't survive without big groups and high volume, but Thailand's boutique hotels and guesthouses, spas and niche tour operators tend to target free and independent travellers (FITs) and small groups. "It's easier to find a small group of customers than a big group," says Tanin Rittavirun, owner of CyclingThailand.com, which organises bicycle tours of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos ranging from one day to two weeks for groups of four to 18 people. Low overheads help too. "For an SME like me its not such a problem - I don't have to pay a lot of salaries." Tanin says that through to the end of September he'd had no cancellations, even from Americans. "Most FITs already decided their plans for next year and they haven't changed." Founded in 1995 with just 10 bikes, his business has grown steadily by word-of-mouth and positive media coverage. Now he and his wife have 10 part-time employees, and have recently invested 1 million baht (US$22,000) in a new fleet of bicycles. To make good on that investment, Tanin is marketing more actively, and entering additional action travel segments such as trekking. "I am not worried - I want to do more in this business."
As world travellers avoid visiting the United States amid fears of more terrorism, Thailand expects to benefit from a shift into Asia. "We are definitely going to see growth of 20-25% toward Asia during the next holiday season," says Zawfir Ziard, managing director of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based Unique Choice, a travel wholesaler with some 250 agents in the Middle East and a clientele split between locals and expatriates.
Even Thailand's vibrant transvestite cabaret industry believes business will keep boom-booming. "I am not so worried because as travellers shift away from the US they'll consider Asian destinations more," says Alisa Phanthusak, assistant to the managing director of Tiffany's Show Pattaya Co, billed as Southeast Asia's first and largest ladyboy revue. North Americans buy just 5% of the 2,000 or so seats Tiffany's sells each day, while the vast majority go to visiting Asians. "They don't have anything like this in China. It's a very conservative culture, so they come to experience how the Thais have an open mind. And they like it because of the beauty. Asian people like beauty."
Regional tourists have helped Tiffany's grow from three performers when Alisa's father founded it 27 years ago, to 80 dancers today. The firm has some 100 other employees, plus a new 80-million baht, wheelchair-accessible theatre. "We hope visitors won't change their minds."
Pravidhya Suvaruchiporn, managing director of the Suanthip Vana Resort, a boutique hotel with 30 rooms in the northernmost province of Chiang Rai, says small hotels have an advantage in a crisis. "For me it's easier to manage room occupancy because the number is smaller than a big hotel."
Pravidhya, who retired from a long career in banking to take over the hotel a year ago, says he's not planning any layoffs, but is scaling back expansion plans, and may convert a few new rooms to a spa facility. He'll focus more on domestic bookings, but expects Thailand to gain as travellers shift away from the US "I hope they come to Asia."